Imagine Us Happy

July 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Trying to deal with her depression, pretending to ignore her parents constant fighting, and feeling disdain for her classmates, Stella doesn't believe things are looking too positive for her junior year. However, after being forced to go to a party with her two best friends, she meets Kevin. Readers are told from the start that their relationship will not have a happy ending. A glimmer of hope remains until teens begin to learn about their relationship, realizing that there's no way this will end well. Yu's high school romance is filled with the extreme emotions of first love, strained friendships, marital strife, and mental health issues. The narrative doesn't follow a linear time line but jumps around, giving glimpses to the end of their relationship when things fall apart and back to the beginning when all was wonderful. This device is skillfully implemented and will keep readers wondering how things began to collapse. Though this story is focused on a romantic relationship, its true message is about the strength of friendship. VERDICT Even without a romantic happily ever after, readers will still be pleased with the conclusion. A strong choice for YA shelves.-Jessica Perovich, US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2018
Two teens struggling with mental illness fall in love, and it doesn't end well.Every day is a challenge for Stella Canavas--likely the same Stella from Yu's debut novel, Four Weeks, Five People (2017)--who lives with depression. Her resolutions for junior year include hanging out with her best friends, escaping her parents' arguments, listening to her therapist, and accepting people more. On the first day of classes, Stella is captivated by senior Kevin Miller, who is passionate about philosophy, longs to attend Columbia University, and also lives with depression. Stella feels as though she's found someone who understands her, and after some serious discussion, they begin dating. Everything seems so perfect, but perfect often turns to tears and recriminations in an instant. As their relationship progresses, Stella's grades slip, she distances herself from her friends, and she skips therapy sessions. The smallest disagreements between Stella and Kevin escalate to shouting matches that leave Stella feeling too exhausted and broken to pick up the pieces. Stella recounts their relationship in a nonlinear style, beginning her story with the end (their last fight) and scattering memories throughout. Yu genuinely portrays how the initial magic of a new relationship can spiral into something toxic and have a profound impact on one's mental health. Characters are assumed white except for Stella's friend Lin, who is Chinese-American.A poignant reminder that love is not always enough. (Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.