Morgan hasn't left her apartment in months, not since the terrible thing. She takes online classes, receives house calls from her therapist, gazes at the pool in her apartment complex, and tries to avoid succumbing to crushing panic. When cute Evan moves in next door, however, Morgan starts to consider stepping outside. As she is slowly enticed out of her door by her understanding therapist, she finds not only her own resilience but also that she is not as alone as she thought. In Morgan's swirling first-person narrative, readers get a glimpse of her complex inner life, from the guilt she is hiding, to her ache for her old life, to her worry that she will turn out just like her father, a war veteran so tortured by PTSD that he can't get help. Debut author Reichardt smartly reveals the source of Morgan's agoraphobia school shooting ry gradually, which, along with the sweet romance with Evan, urges the plot forward. Though Morgan's inner monologue occasionally drags, her story of growth and redemption will be rewarding for readers who love character-driven novels.

High school junior Morgan meant to be a good person that rainy October day. She thought she was performing a simple act of kindness, a ride to school, but the result was a deadly tragedy. Now, six months later, Morgan knows that nothing else can hurt her as long as she stays in the two-bedroom apartment she shares with her mother and little brother, Ben. Feeling remote, as though she were underwater, she drifts through her days, attending high school online, watching daytime TV, and listening to her visiting therapist. Just as she feels she is running out of air, Evan, a surfer from Hawaii, moves in next door, reminding her of things she has been avoiding. With the support of her loving family, Evan, and her therapist, Morgan begins her journey toward recovery.Reichardt's remarkable debut novel, told in Morgan's voice, is a sensitive and inspirational exploration of the aftermath of tragedy and of a young woman's grief and guilt. Morgan is an appealing character who retains a sense of humor despite her issues. The secondary characters helping Morgan work through her problems are also exceptionally well drawn. Evan emerges as much more than a clichÚd surfer dude, while Brenda, Morgan's therapist, becomes her strong and empathetic mentor. A delightful little brother and loving mother also help a troubled teen start to mend. Young adults will enjoy sharing Morgan's passage from hurt to healing.Jamie Hansen.

Traumatized by a school shooting and convinced that she could have stopped it, seventeen-year-old Morgan, once a champion swimmer, finds herself unable to leave her house. Gradually, family loyalties and the realization that she is not suffering alone draw her back to the world. Secondary characters sometimes seem unrealistically understanding, but Morgan's recovery process is sensitively narrated and authentically nonlinear.