A forlorn college freshman becomes a doomsday conspiracy theorist in this heartrending verse novel by poet Feinstein (Everything Is Real, for adults). “Wicca-as-hell” teen Crosby is shattered when Shannon, her neighbor and best friend of 13 years, pulls away after their high school graduation, abandoning witchcraft and leaving Oregon to study science in Arizona. Crosby senses that this rift portends something even more terrible—a belief vindicated when, during her first semester at Oregon State University, she hears about the rogue dwarf planet Malachite. World governments and “mainstream media” claim that Malachite will pass harmlessly through Venus’s orbit, but thanks to an alleged NASA whistleblower on YouTube, Crosby knows that Malachite’s collision with Earth is “inevitable and unsurvivable.” A like-minded local psychic says those vibrating at a high enough frequency will ascend to another dimension on impact, sending Crosby on an increasingly desperate quest to save as many people as possible, starting with Shannon. Feinstein incisively reflects on friendship and change while illustrating misinformation’s allure and aftermath via first-person-present verse poems by turns snarky and soulful. Lyrical, immersive writing and realistically flawed, mostly white-cued characters enrich the tale’s bittersweet tone. Ages 14–up. Agent: Savannah Brooks, KT Literary. (Mar.)

Gr 10 Up— Best friends Crosby and Shannon experienced high school as wiccans, celebrating solstices and delving into astrology, tarot cards, and more. Crosby adheres to the teachings of hippie parents who practice homeopathic medicine, while Shannon's home life has been volatile. Dismayed by Shannon's departure for out-of-state school, Crosby holds on to the past while trying to adapt to college life with friends and teachers that challenge her beliefs. A dwarf planet heading towards Earth, an astronomical event that becomes the focus of conspiracy theories and doomsday cults and intensifies her obsession with apocalyptic omens. Crosby succumbs to fatalist fantasies and catastrophe rhetoric, getting further immersed in misinformation and survival-planning, hoping to escape the earthbound "third dimension" and enter the "fourth dimension" through occult practices. Having given up her possessions, Crosby joins a road trip and finds that her focus on the asteroid enables her to avoid dealing with the changes that occur as one transitions to adult life. Told in first-person free verse, this novel will resonate with readers trying to understand how they fit in the world. The story wraps up succinctly, although the ending is open to interpretation. There is mature language and content, including drinking and drug use. Most characters present as white; one supporting character is gay, and Crosby's intense feelings for Shannon may be platonic or romantic. VERDICT Themes of misinformation on social media, cultural appropriation, and critical thinking make this debut from poet Feinstein one to give older teens looking for a unique, relatable issue- and character-driven book.— Rebecca Jung