Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Funny, warm, and moving, Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index is a contemporary YA novel about loss, how deeply we can know others, and making our own happiness; perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere.
Sixty-five days after the death of her older sister, sixteen-year-old Juniper Lemon discovers the break-up letter addressed to “You” Camilla wrote the day she died. Juni is shocked—she knew nothing of this You, and now the gaping hole in her life that was her sister feels that much bigger. She’s determined to uncover the identity of You and deliver the letter. Maybe that would help fill the hole, even if only a bit.
But what Juniper doesn’t expect is that in searching for You she will unearth other notes and secrets—and that may be just what she needs to sort out her own mess.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Juniper "Juni" Lemon, 16, is struggling with the death of her older sister, Camie. Using a method that Camie taught her to see the good in life, Juni writes down the positive and negative things that happen during a given day on numbered index cards. When Juni finds a breakup letter her sister wrote to an unknown "you," she decides to track down the mystery paramour to deliver the note. But things go awry on the first day of school when Juni loses index card #65, which marks the number of days since the car accident that killed Camie and carries Juni's deepest secret. Israel's debut novel sensitively examines loss, survivor's guilt, and how one girl attempts to rebuild her life. The index cards help readers keep track of Juni's healing amid a found-object art project, new friendships, and a blossoming romance. Israel handles the long, painful process of negotiating grief gently and realistically while cleverly interweaving the light mystery of "you's" identity throughout, keeping readers guessing as Juni steps closer to finding closure. Ages 12 up.
