We Weren’t Looking to Be Found

Using insightful prose, Kuehn’s (When I Am Through with You) haunting novel follows two teens struggling to connect while recovering from individual mental health challenges. Mexican and Colombian Camila Ortiz and Black Danielle Washington are roommates at rural Georgia’s Peach Tree Hills, a mental health treatment facility for adolescent girls. After a recent suicide attempt left her hospitalized and subsequently admitted to PTH for treatment, withdrawn Cami, a dancer, is resigned. Dani, a frequent partier from Dallas political royalty who was admitted for drug dependency, doesn’t believe she belongs at the facility, and her festering resentment for her mother impacts her substance use rehabilitation. The girls feel as if they have nothing in common, but when they discover letters inside a music box from a former resident and decide to investigate the writer’s identity, their search prompts them to share personal stories from their pasts. And as they grow closer, the teens realize that the road to recovery doesn’t look the same for everyone. The girls’ sincere alternating perspectives, and the compassionate health professionals that facilitate their treatments, provide hope to Cami and Dani’s respective journeys. A beginning note contextualizes instances of suicide, substance dependency, and self-harm. Ages 14–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (June)