72 Hours of You by Darianne Schramm - OPTIONAL

72 Hours of You by Darianne Schramm, 336 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2026. $20.

Language: R (507 swears, 242 “f”); Mature Content: R (underage drinking; illegal activity; groping; nudity; mentions of drugs, condoms, sexting, and sex; and ad nauseam innuendo); Violence: PG13 (assault; mentions of school shootings, bombs, and suicide; gun use; and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Death is an inevitable part of life—something that Sydney (17yo) is very familiar with. She dreads the pink glow, only visible to her, that follows people in their last 72 hours of life. This ability sets her apart, and that’s the way she likes it. Until a nosy classmate figures out her secret.

One of the most interesting points in this book is that Sydney believes in the beginning that she deals with death better than others do because she has to confront its reality more often and all by herself, without help or support through her grief. The journey Sydney experiences is an inward change that makes this perception a reality, and we don’t have to develop her supernatural ability to make that change in our own lives. The grief is still among the living, but so is life. Sydney is Jewish. Jules is bi.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson