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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
No violence; death from AIDS is the emotional center
Language
Barely any
Clean language; the 1987 period voice is authentic
Sexual Content
Barely any
No sexual content; a loving adult relationship is described; LGBTQ+ themes handled with care
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The sustained grief of losing someone when you are too young to fully understand the world that took them
What this book is about
June Elbus, a fourteen-year-old who idolized her uncle Finn, is devastated by his death from AIDS in 1987—and forbidden by her mother from seeing Finn's partner Toby. Carol Rifka Brunt's debut novel follows June and Toby's unlikely friendship as both grieve the same person from opposite sides of a family's fear and prejudice.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
AIDS death and LGBTQ+ themes in the context of 1980s prejudice
Reader Verification
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