13 Ways to Say Goodbye [Hardcover]

A novel-in-verse about life after loss,13 Ways to Say Goodbyebeautifully renders the power of sibling bonds, the depth of grief, and the strength of learning to love again, perfect for fans ofEverywhere BlueandThe Distance to Home,from the author ofThe Song of Us.

Nina always followed her older sister, Lily. But just before her thirteenth birthday, Lily died, leaving Nina behind forever.

In the three years since she lost her sister, Nina has completed Lily’s secret Before Birthday lists to continue in her footsteps. But now Nina is catching up. When Nina flies to Paris, France, and completes tasks that Lily never finished, Nina finds herself magically transported inside of her own memories, face-to-face with the ghosts of her past.

With her birthday looming and the last list running out, Nina is torn between visiting her sister in her memories and adventuring in the present, including crushing hard on her art classmate, Sylvie. Should she follow Lily’s instructions or try something new? And what happens when she finishes the list?

Praise forThe Song of Us: Two seventh grade Boston girls meet in poetry club, fall in love, fight, and find their way back to each other in this verse novel. Their personalities shine through their beautifully crafted poems, full of aches, worries, and joys. Thirteen-year-old love at its finest. -Kirkus Reviews

Immediate-feeling verse traces painful self-discovery and heady first love in Fussner’s debut, a queer retelling of “Orpheus and Eurydice.” Snappy verse embodies the girls’ achingly real alternating voices while thoughtfully considering topics such as coming out, mental health, parental abuse, and peer pressure. Hand this yearning-tinged slice-of-life romance to fans of Ashley Herring Blake and K.A. Holt. -Publishers Weekly

In this gorgeous tale, FlS+