I Am Not Alone
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Award-winning author Francisco X. Stork revisits some of the themes and ideas that made Marcelo in the Real World such an unforgettable novel.
Alberto's life isn't easy: He's an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lives with his sister's abusive boyfriend-but he'd always accepted his place in the world. Until he starts hearing the voice of a man called Captain America, a voice that wants him to achieve more, no matter the cost.
Grace has it all: She has a supportive boyfriend, she's on track to be valedictorian, and she's sure to go to the college of her dreams. Still, nothing feels right to her any more after the divorce of her parents, and feels she needs something more.
When Alberto and Grace meet, they have an immediate and electric connection. But when Alberto is present at the scene of a terrible crime, he becomes a suspect. And with his developing schizophrenia, he's not even sure he believes in his own innocence.
Can Grace find a way to prove Alberto's innocence to himself and the world?
This is a page-turning thriller and a sensitive story about mental health, love, and community that will appeal to anyone who has struggled with their place in the world, from award-winning author Francisco X. Stork.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stork (On the Hook) interweaves issues of racism, mental health, and classism with a budding romance in this moving read. Teenage Alberto lives with his beloved nephew, his drug-dependent older sister, and her married, physically abusive boyfriend. On top of dealing with his tumultuous homelife and working as a housepainter to help financially support the rest of his family back in Mexico, he must also navigate concerns about his own undocumented status, his undiagnosed learning disability, and a mysterious voice in his head that pressures him to commit violent acts. On a job, he meets Grace, a Princeton hopeful from an affluent Jewish family, who's drawn to Alberto's kindness. When Alberto goes on the run after being accused of murdering an elderly client, Grace resolves to help him. But with all the evidence seemingly pointing to Alberto, and Alberto himself experiencing frequent blackouts and doubting his own mind, Grace must enlist the teens' N.Y.C. community to ensure justice. Straightforward prose and the pair's alternating perspectives paint an accessible picture of Alberto's auditory hallucinations (informed by Stork's own experience, according to an author's note) and suspected schizophrenia, and Grace's own doubts regarding her future. While the narrative's high-stakes conflicts are front and center, it's the sheer sweetness of Alberto and Grace's love story that sets the tone of this hopeful read. Ages 14–up.
