Without Annette
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A gorgeously written, witty, and poignant YA novel, about a girl who must forge her own path in the wake of a crumbling relationship.Josie Little has been looking forward to moving halfway across the country to attend Brookwood Academy, a prestigious boarding school, with her girlfriend, Annette, for ages. But underneath Brookwood's picture-perfect image lies a crippling sense of elitism that begins to tear the girls apart from the moment they arrive.While Josie struggles to navigate her new life, Annette seems to fit in perfectly. Yet that acceptance comes with more than a few strings. And consequently, Annette insists on keeping their relationship a secret. At first, Josie agrees. But as Annette pushes her further and further away, Josie grows closer to Penn, a boy whose friendship and romantic feelings for her tangle her already-unraveling relationship. When Annette's need for approval sets her on a devastating course for self-destruction, Josie isn't sure she can save her this time-or if Annette even wants her to try.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her first book for teens, Mason (the Dog and His Girl Mysteries series) takes on peer pressure, same-sex relationships, and being a fish out of water. Josie and Annette have been dating since they were 12, and although nearly everyone in their Minnesota town accepts their relationship, Josie decides that they should apply to Brookwood Academy in Connecticut for their sophomore year. The idea is to get Annette away from her alcoholic mother, but the school isn't the refuge Josie pictured. Annette insists on keeping their relationship a secret, and she focuses her energy on being accepted by her roommate, Becca, one of the school's social elites, or "Soleets." Frustrated by Annette's increasing distance, Josie makes friends with the guys, joining them in exploring the steam tunnels below campus. Josie is an engaging narrator whose loneliness and worry are well drawn. The plot which includes a lost-and-found shrunken head gets rather elaborate, and Annette's difficulties trying to fit in are tied to a heavy dose of prep school stereotypes, but it's rewarding to watch Josie start to make decisions for herself. Ages 12 up.
