You're Breaking my Heart
-
-
5.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Harriet Adu knows that her brother’s death is her fault. I mean, it’s not actually her fault, but it still kinda is, isn’t it?
She would do anything to live in a world where she could take back what she said that morning.
Then a strange girl shows up at Harriet’s high school – a girl who loves the same weird books Harriet does, who doesn’t vibe with anyone at school the same way Harriet does – and that different world suddenly seems possible. The girl speaks of a place underneath the subways of New York, where people like them can go and find a home. A place away from the world of high school, grief, cool people, and depression. A place where one may be able to bend the lines of reality and get a second chance at being a better person.
Will Harriet open the door?
With You’re Breaking My Heart, award-winning author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich offers a remarkable speculative novel that will hit home for anyone who yearns for that one chance to do things over.
P R A I S E
“In this moving work, Rhuday-Perkovich has created characters whose internal struggles are palpable and an intriguing narrative with both tension and introspection that delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and the possibility of second chances.”
–Horn Book
“Her world is recognizable and utterly believable, but there’s a hint of the strange and fantastic shimmering at its edges that will pull readers onward as they try to figure out what’s really happening to Harriet, and whether reality is something that can—or should—be changed."
–LitHub
“Powerful and moving.”
–Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Raw, intense, and utterly unique exploration of grief and guilt.” –Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rhuday-Perkovich (Operation Sisterhood) pens a darkly atmospheric love letter to siblinghood in this speculative foray into processing grief, guilt, and shame. Following an argument between the siblings, 14-year-old Nigerian American Harriet Adu's older brother Tunde dies in a school shooting, leaving Harriet with the sharp guilt of having wished his death upon him that same day. Admitting her remorse in Catholic confessionals throughout New York City has yet to resolve any of the lingering shame, and she lashes out at her cousin Nikka and Tunde's best friend, Luke, who are both Black. Attempting to rekindle their friendship, the trio visit a local pool where Harriet finds catharsis in swimming. But an intrusive, biting voice, coupled with terrifying hallucinations, glimpses of Tunde's ghost, and an unearthly near-drowning, shatters Harriet's peaceful release. After she receives cryptic information about a haunted underground world, Harriet realizes that the horrifying events at the pool may be connected. With Nikka and Luke, Harriet ventures into the mysterious realm beneath the city, seeking answers and—hopefully—absolution. Uneven pacing sometimes detracts from the captivating premise. Rhuday-Perkovich nevertheless employs Harriet's resolute narrative voice to relay the fantastical happenings, as well as her determined steps toward healing, with careful sensitivity and refreshing creativity. Ages 12–up.
