Swimming in a Sea of Stars Julie Wright - ESSENTIAL

Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright, 256 pages. Shadow Mountain, 2023. $20 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (mention of suicide); Violence: PG (mention of abuse) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

17yo Addison tried to end her life and now she’s heading back to high school. This is giving her anxiety about how she’ll be received at school and how she’s going to make it through the day. When she arrives at school, she sees another student dealing with family problems. This helps Addison see outside herself and realizes she is in a position to help someone else. Hopefully the rest of her day will help Addison heal and regain hope. 

I enjoyed the writing because of the emotional intelligence, wisdom and humor. The author connected the characters’ lives smoothly. The story and characters are inspiring. The ethnicity is mixed. 

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Library