Just Wreck It All

Buy the Book: Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, IndieBound, Porter Square Books
Published by: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Release Date: October 22, 2019
Pages: 336
ISBN13: 978-1481465199

 
Overview

Wracked with guilt due to a horrific accident that maimed her best friend two years earlier, sixteen-year-old Bett’s life is a series of pluses and minuses. But when the pluses start to outweigh the minuses, Bett is forced to confront her self-harming behavior in this powerful novel about self-forgiveness.

Two years ago, Bett was badass. Fearless, feisty, athletic; the type of person who’d bike down a mountain ledge just for the thrill of it. Give her a dare and she’d get it done, no question. But then she dared a friend, and instead of a thrill came horror and guilt.

Now Bett divides her life into Pluses and Minuses. Pluses are anything that make her feel good, things she doesn’t—nope, no way, no how—deserve. Minuses are punishments she doles out to herself—literally, in the form of binge eating—when a Plus can’t be avoided. Now, Bett is extremely overweight, depressed, and the opposite of badass. Which makes her happy. But is that a Plus? Bett’s system is beginning to crack, and revelations of that prank-gone-wrong are threatening to come out.

Just Wreck It All is a blaze of a novel about guilt and self-harm that explores how easy it is to punish ourselves, and just how difficult it is to find the power to forgive ourselves.

Awards & Praise

Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title

“A much-needed story about a fat girl that does not equate weight loss with salvation.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“This refreshingly different plot manages to address current social concerns, such as body image, PTSD, domestic abuse, and small-town high school politics, with energy and unsentimental compassion.”
—BCCB

“It is refreshing to see a story where there is no fat-shaming and no “weight loss = salvation” message . . . . Moving.”
—School Library Connection

“A heartfelt journey through the importance of self-love and forgiveness, perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Gayle Forman.”
—School Library Journal