Eleanor & Park meets Perks of Being a Wallflower in this bittersweet 1980’s story about love, loss, and a comet that only comes around every ninety-seven years.

When Carrie looks through her telescope, the world makes sense. It’s life here on Earth that’s hard to decipher. Since her older sister, Ginny, died, Carrie has been floating in the orbit of Ginny’s friends, the cool kids, who are far more interested in bands and partying than science.

Carrie’s reckless behavior crosses a line, and her father enrolls her in a summer work camp at a local state park. There, Carrie pulls weeds and endures pep talks about the power of hard work. Despite her best efforts to hate the job, Carrie actually feels happy out in nature. And when she meets Dean—warm, thoughtful, and perceptive—she starts to discover that her life can be like her beloved night sky, with black holes of grief for Ginny and dazzling meteors of joy from first love.

One fateful summer. Two lost souls. And a sky full of possibility.

Forced Proximity: Stuck at a summer work camp, Carrie never expected to meet Dean. Now they’re pulling weeds together, and sparks are flying between the rows.
Angsty Teen Romance: He’s warm, perceptive, and might be the only one who understands her. But Carrie is still reeling from the loss of her sister, Ginny, and isn’t sure she’s ready to let anyone in.
80s Nostalgia: Set to a soundtrack of The Replacements, The Pixies, and The Cure, this story is a bittersweet throwback to mixtapes, jelly shoes, and falling in love before the internet.
Stargazing Romance: For a girl who finds more comfort in constellations than in people, a rare comet becomes the backdrop for discovering that love can be as dazzling and unpredictable as a meteor shower.

Lisa Selin Davis