In Repair

Italian American 18-year-old Nathaniel Conti has had a reputation of being a troublemaker since high school. The constant attention helped to distract him from the guilt and self-hatred—and the self-harming methods through which he managed these feelings—caused by a childhood trauma. Now in college and no longer stealing or breaking and entering, he hopes to cultivate a fresh start. New friendships with Mexican American lesbian Celeste and nonbinary Korean American Tasha, as well as a reunion with white former best friend Max push Nathaniel to slowly open up and begin to embrace the hard work of recovery. Graziadei (Icebreaker) vividly portrays the physical effects of trauma, such as bodily dissociation, and handles both Nathaniel’s and the supporting characters’ challenges with nuance; even when Nathaniel regresses and hurts those around him, his and his friends’ feelings are rendered with compassion and understanding. Nathaniel’s relationship with Tasha is particularly poignant in how it explores the ways in which sexual trauma can complicate romance. Via acerbic and vulnerable prose, Graziadei presents an empathetic portrait of a young person learning to do better for the people he loves and for himself. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (May)