Nominated for the Lambda Literary Award

"An evocative story of the thrills of first love and the anguish of first loss. This will break you and heal you." --Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin'

Not to be missed by fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli, this powerful novel--from the acclaimed author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit--paints a poignant portrait of love in the past, grief in the now, and the healing power of art.

Before: Jess has always struggled with the fire inside her. But when she meets Vivi, everything changes. As they fall for each other, Vivi helps Jess deal with her anger and pain and encourages her to embrace her artistic talent. And suddenly Jess's future is a blank canvas, filled with possibilities.

After: When Vivi unexpectedly dies, Jess's perfect world is erased. As she spirals out of control, Jess pushes away everyone around her and throws out her plans for art school. Because art is Vivi and Vivi is gone forever. Right when Jess feels at her lowest, she makes a surprising friend who just might be able to show her a new way to channel her rage, passion, and creativity. But will Jess ever be able to forge a new path for herself without Vivi?

A beautiful exploration of first love and first loss, this novel effortlessly weaves together past and present to tell a profound story about how you can become whole again when it seems like you've lost the most important part of yourself.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Harperteen
Published: 04/16/2019
ISBN: 9780062824448
Pages: 368
Weight: 0.96lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 1.00d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2019 pg. 141
Publishers Weekly 03/11/2019
School Library Journal 04/01/2019 pg. 86
Voice of Youth Advocates 04/01/2019 - Recommended - Better Than Most

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 508361 / Meaning of Birds
Reading Level: 4.7 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 10