PAID REVIEWS
FEBRUARY 2, 2026 BOOKLIFE 119
YOUNG ADULT To Save One
Inspiring novel of teens’ campaign for suicide prevention.
perspective is the highlight, as Chloe faces a hard diagnosis that she elects to keep secret. At Briggs’s funeral, Chloe laments, “How can someone want to leave this earth, when I’m trying so desperately to stay?” Her positive attitude contrasts with Evy’s struggle to move on, making her story the driving force of the narrative. That positivity comes at the cost of tension and momentum, however, as To
Kimberly Fiese Yule | Three Bees Publisher 388p, trade paper, $16.99, ASIN B0FYGYT24B
A heartfelt reminder that nobody is alone, Yule’s debut is the story of high-school student Evy Peters, grieving after the unexpected death by suicide of her boyfriend, Briggs, a young man whose kiss, just a year before, had heralded “a new beginning.” As Evy wonders how she did not know what Briggs had been feeling, she partners with her best friend, Henry, and class valedictorian Chloe on an ambitious and original undertaking for film class: the Happy Face Project, crafted to destigmatize
Great for fans of Eunice Chan’s This Side of Falling , Leila Sales’s This Song Will Save Your Life.
Save One often avoids the hard questions and resentments faced by survivors and those, like Chloe, facing the possible end of their own lives. What Yule does well is showcase a sweet group of characters and their friendship. It’s uplifting to read about the bonds Evy creates with the Happy Face Project, and the excitement she feels as she makes a difference. Evy’s grief and her drive to turn her pain into something to inspire others is moving.
openness about mental health issues and remind people that “we don’t have to keep the feelings of sadness, anxiety, and loneliness inside us.” Inspired by a button Briggs used to wear, and Evy’s understanding of what it takes to “put my real happy face on,” the team creates a campaign for the project that goes viral. Yule weaves together Evy’s life in the aftermath with touching memories of Briggs. The present showcases a realistic portrayal of nonlinear grieving, giving space for Evy’s confusion, sadness, and joy, all captured in frank and inviting prose. A second
Cover: B | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A
YOUNG ADULT All Alone Russ Thompson | Finding Forward Books 121p, mas market, $7.99, ISBN 978-1-737-31572-8
Honest, inviting YA story of a teen determined to over- come a difficult home life.
Shane, ditches him to hang out with guys from the basketball team, his loneliness and isolation are palpable. Thompson doesn’t grant Elgin an easy ending in this series offering, as his mother is diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver—and Elgin knows that means she won’t get better. But with support from teachers at school—and new friends he makes when
Thompson returns with another gripping Finding For- ward entry—designed for easy reading regardless of skill level—that tugs at the heartstrings. Fifteen-year- old Elgin is a sophomore at Edison High whose attention is anywhere but school. His parents are divorced, his mother is an alcoholic whose health is starting to fail, and his father is hooked on gambling. Between trying to scrape up enough food to get by each day and coping with the fear of losing his mom, Elgin has his hands full. When his schoolwork starts to pile up—and he earns several NoPasses in different subjects—he feels like giving up. As with Thompson’s other inviting and empathetic YA novels ( Cans, Brady’s Way , and more), teens who dig into Elgin’s story will find real-life conflict, practical solutions, and inspiring reminders to keep going—no matter how dire the circumstances appear. Elgin’s experiences are heartbreaking, and Thompson expertly evokes his distress as his world crumbles. When his parents get violent with each other, Elgin painfully realizes “I’m not a kid anymore. But I’m crying like one,” and, when his only friend,
Great for fans of J.E. Stamper’s Ugly Me , Sarah Dessen’s Saint Anything.
he goes out for track—Elgin learns that he can face his problems and refuse to give in to his fears. His efforts pay off, eventually earning him a spot on the honor roll and assignment as a peer counselor, making his P.E. teacher’s advice hit home: “Life is about the choices you make… It’s about being determined that you will keep trying, no matter what, until you find a way to succeed.”
Cover: A- | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A
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