Asked which spring novels she’s especially looking forward to sharing with her customers, Mary Brown, owner of Books, Bytes & Beyond in Glen Rock, N.J., was quick to cite Lisa Graff’s Lost in the Sun, due from Philomel in May.
Boxes of seasonal ARCs are always received with excitement here, with certain authors’ titles immediately put in the short stack of “read now!” Lisa Graff (author of Absolutely Almost) is one of those authors for me, and her new YA novel, Lost in the Sun, once again makes me happy to be a children’s bookseller. A master of character development, Graff also understands and respects her audience, creating complex characters with flaws to which readers can relate. She writes with such sensitivity and honesty, children can actually experience what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes, and empathize with the various characters’ situations.
Trent Zimmerman is ready to begin middle school, where he is hoping for a fresh start. During the previous school year, a horrible accident resulted in a boy’s death, for which Trent feels responsible. Fueled by guilt, Trent’s dark, angry thoughts have caused him to lash out at family, teachers, and classmates. He’s hoping the new year will allow him the opportunity to prove that he is not the “screw-up” he feels he is. However, Trent is his own worst enemy, until a classmate, Fallon Little, sees something special in him and makes an effort to be his friend.
Lisa Graff’s fabulous stories are the kinds that help develop both readers and writers, and her novel will appeal to fans of Gary Schmidt, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Cynthia Lord. Lost in the Sun is a powerful story about guilt, loss, and redemption, and I am excited to be able to put this book in the hands of young readers and the adults who care about them.
Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff. Philomel, $16.99 May ISBN 978-0-399-16406-4
