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A heartrending story of loss, grief, and legacy that asks how much we can ever really know the ones we love—and what it means to love them, and ourselves, anyway. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Adam Silvera.
Jonny has always idolized his sister, Carmel. She is the person he relies on for guidance, insight, and pretty much everything else.
Trish has always followed her father's lead. As a senator from Pennsylvania, he devotes his life to public service, and Trish is right there beside him, determined to make the world a better place.
But when the senator's plane crashes in Jonny’s backyard—killing everyone on board and taking Carmel's life as well—Jonny's and Trish's worlds are shattered in an instant.
As they navigate their own separate pain, Jonny and Trish each discover things about the people they thought they'd known best. And they find themselves wondering: Had they ever truly known the people they’d looked up to—and do they truly know themselves now that their loved ones are gone? Looking for answers, they turn toward each other for support, solace, and maybe something more.
In this powerful novel, award-winning author Isaac Blum explores what it means to grieve, to love, and to find yourself anew in the wreckage of personal tragedy. With his signature wit and compassion, he shares a story with one universal truth: that while grief may shape our paths, it doesn't have to dictate our future.
Coming November 17, 2026
National Jewish Book Award Finalist
Kirkus Best YA Fiction of 2024
NPR Books We Love 2024
Horn Book Best Books of 2024
New York Public Library Best Books for Teens 2024
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2024
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2025
ALA's Rise: A Feminist Book Project Top Ten Title
"Blum’s depiction of a teenage Orthodox Jewish girl is remarkable in its precision and authenticity, along with the depth he gives Yoyo as she experiences life outside her community and contemplates her future. [C]onvincing and appealing." —Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW*
“[E]ach potential hot-button issue is handled with delicacy and nuance . . . the characters have dimension and agency, and Yoyo models a level of integrity that feels both genuine and aspirational.” —The Horn Book, *STARRED REVIEW*
"A deeply modern and moving YA novel set in a tightly closed community, this book is a near-perfect exploration of teen self-discovery." —NPR
The book’s…fast-paced, first-person narrative will keep readers glued to the pages. Yoyo’s voice is compelling, and both she and her observant family are portrayed positively and respectfully. Blum’s fans won’t be disappointed.” —Kirkus Reviews
Accolades and Reviews
“YA Novelist Isaac Blum Raises the Stakes” | Kirkus
"The Judgment of Yoyo Gold” | Judith Magazine
“Keeping It Real: Isaac Blum on the Power of Contemporary Fiction in YA Literature” | Creating Joyful Readers Podcast
Interviews, Articles, and Podcasts
A smart and powerful story set in the Orthodox Jewish community about what it means to fit in, break out, and find your own way, by the award-winning author of The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen.
Yoyo Gold has always played the role of the perfect Jewish daughter. She keeps kosher, looks after her siblings, and volunteers at the local food bank. She respects the decisions of her rabbi father and encourages her friends to observe the rules of their Orthodox faith. But when she sees her best friend cast out of the community over a seemingly innocent transgression, Yoyo’s eyes are opened to the truth of her neighbors’ hypocrisies for the first time. And what she sees leaves her shocked and unmoored.
As Yoyo’s frustration builds, so does the pressure to speak out, even if she can only do so anonymously on TikTok, an app that’s always been forbidden to her. But when one of her videos goes viral—and her decisions wind up impacting not only her own life but also her relationship with the boy she’s falling for—Yoyo’s world is thrown into chaos. She is forced to choose which path to take, for her community, for her family, and most importantly, for herself.
Award-winning author Isaac Blum returns with a new novel that asks what it really means to be part of a community—and what it means to break free.
Winner of the William C. Morris Award
Longlisted for the National Book Award
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Kirkus Best YA Fiction of 2022
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2022
New York Public Library Best Books of 2022
Buzzfeed Best YA Books of 2022
Tablet Best Jewish Children’s Books of 2022
YALSA 2023 Best Fiction for Young Adults
"Funny, smart, moving, courageous, and so timely it almost hurts." –Kirkus Reviews, *STARRED REVIEW*
"Blum tackles themes of acceptance and community [in] this impressively drawn story." –Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW*
"A sharply written coming-of-age story whose protagonist, like any teen, is figuring out where he fits in, under circumstances that are thought-provoking and at times heart-wrenching." –The Horn Book, *STARRED REVIEW*
Accolades and Reviews
“How Isaac Blum Created the Funniest YA Narrator of the Year” | BookPage
“Best Teen & YA Books of 2022 Profile: Isaac Blum” | Kirkus
“Q&A With Isaac Blum” | Publishers Weekly
“This YA Novel Has the Positive Orthodox Jewish Representation We’ve Been Craving” | hey alma
“You Should Know…Isaac Blum” | Jewish Exponent
“How Somebody Else’s Reading of My Novel Changed My Own” | Teen Library Toolbox
“Isaac Blum on Writing a Young Adult Novel to Respond to Antisemitic Violence” | Crime Reads
Interviews, Articles, and Podcasts
Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that’s not Hoodie’s problem.
That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary—who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence.
As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever known.
Isaac Blum delivers a wry, witty debut novel about a deeply important and timely subject, in a story of hatred and betrayal—and the friendships we find in the most unexpected places.