Alistair Woodson is a loner by choice. Since the traumatic night that ended his only friendship, hes isolated himself by letting his classmates believe hes a criminal and an arsonist, best to be avoided at all costs. But on his graduation trip across Paris, Switzerland, and Italy, Alis discovers that isolation isnt so easy to maintain in hostel rooms and cross-country trains. Soon he finds himself growing closer to classmates who were once strangers to himnamely the class clown, Craig Miltenberg, whose frustratingly good hair and cheerful disposition dont irritate Alis nearly as much as they should. Yet, as his deepening connections stir up painful reminders of his last doomed friendship, Alis continues to cope the only way he knows how: drowning out the pain on the inside by hurting himself on the outside. When his self-destructive behaviours intensify and put him and his new relationships in jeopardy, Alis must find the courage to confront his spiralling mental healtheven if it means letting someone in. Lex Carlow's gritty queer debut is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Kathleen Glasgow, andThe Perks of Being a Wallflower.
