The Uncertainty Principle - by Joshua Davis & Kal Kini-Davis (Hardcover)

About the Book

After a public meltdown and her best friend's betrayal lead her family to move onto a sailboat at sea, seventeen-year-old Mia struggles with isolation and her mental health until she meets Alby and Nisha, prompting Mia to navigate new romantic feelings, family tensions, and her own personal growth.

Book Synopsis

An epic, breathtaking story of self-discovery, love, and adventure from New York Times bestselling author Joshua Davis and his son Kal Kini-Davis, perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and John Green.

Seventeen-year-old Mia is stranded in the middle of the Caribbean. After a mortifying incident in the school cafeteria, her parents decide there is only one way to deal with her meltdown: move onto a battered sailboat and leave everything behind. Her mom and dad think it's the best decision they've ever made. Mia feels like she's been kidnapped and imprisoned in paradise with no internet and no destination.

Her only hope is to hack together a solar-powered satellite phone so she can call her best friend and fix everything. To do it, she'll have to build a mobile laboratory on the boat and ignore her neurotic mother, who thinks Mia is falling apart.

The problem is, Mia is falling apart. By day, she scours deserted islands, looking for anything she can use to build the phone. At night, she squeezes into a narrow bunk and talks to an imaginary friend. She knows, with absolute certainty, that she needs to abandon her family to save her sanity.

And then two teenagers sail into her world, promising friendship, and maybe even romance. Thoughtful, soulful Alby was raised in Australia but now his family calls the sea their home. The only thing missing is his soulmate. Bold, beautiful Nisha is simply vacationing on her dad's megayacht when a chance encounter upends her life.

Now--with everything hanging in the balance--Mia must decide who she is and what she wants. And with this decision comes the revelation that her past and future are more uncertain than she thought.

Review Quotes

"Mia's story tenderly explores themes of sexuality and neurodivergence with sailing and science details accompanying her often-painful introspection as she learns to navigate uncertainty. Emotional and broad-ranging." --Kirkus Reviews

"Teen readers will find familiar awkwardness as Mia navigates the Caribbean and her life." --Booklist

About the Author

Joshua Davis (he/him) is the New York Times bestselling author of Spare Parts, The Underdog, and Entrenched. He has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award in feature writing and produced the Sundance Audience Award-winning film Radical. He is the co-founder of Epic Magazine.

Kal Kini-Davis (he/him) is a sailor and writer. He recently graduated high school in San Francisco and is now studying wooden boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest. He believes that boats have souls, just as people do.