Gr 9 Up— Twins Storm and Lake, 17, have been tossed from one foster home to the next since facing abuse from and abandonment by their parents and grandmother. They have been each other's constant, taking care of each other and tuned into each other's feelings—in sync. In a stroke of cruelty, they are currently separated and desperate for opportunities to communicate. Readers meet Storm while he is living in a kind home, his girlfriend Jaidyn nearby. He and Lake lived happily with a foster family long ago, but the years since have been cruel to him. Life is looking up, though. Like Storm, Lake is in love. She is in an uncomfortable living situation with ultra-religious foster parents, but she also has a girlfriend: Parker, the other teen in the home. Storm and Lake's stories are told through undelivered letters the two write to each other. Their captivating voices make it all the more heartbreaking when their lives start to unravel. The two are plunged to new depths, ripped from the ones they love, and thrown into systems meant to crush them. As the characters' lives come apart, readers will ache to see Storm and Lake find salvation. This one will best fit school libraries with mature readers: depictions include teen sex and events that should never happen to any child, including sexual assault and suicide. VERDICT Written in true Hopkins style, these verses pack a punch with low word count. This story is highly accessible and will be devoured by realistic fiction readers.— Jill Shepard

A gritty, powerful novel in verse that follows California siblings as they navigate the foster care system.After a rough placement at age 12, twins Storm and Lake were separated by the state and haven't seen each other since. Storm has been in juvie, though he's finally settled, with a decent foster parent and a new girlfriend, Jaidyn. Lake's position living with a strict Christian family is tenuous, complicated by the fact that she's falling for her lesbian roommate, Parker. A reunion allows the 17-year-olds to reestablish "our sync"-reading each other's thoughts and body language with ease. But as quickly as they've reconnected, they're ripped apart when Storm is arrested for avenging Jaidyn's sexual assault by an ex. Lake and Parker's luck is no better; they run away and begin to deal drugs to stay afloat. The twins both hit rock bottom: Lake encounters unimaginable violence while living on the streets, and Storm is placed in a juvenile detention center yet again. Through it all, they hold on to hopes of reuniting and finding their sync again. The twins' dual perspectives are told in poignant, unflinching free verse, with natural breaks according to teenage speech patterns, and the narrative doesn't shy away from portraying the harsh realities of a broken foster care system. Though the siblings face relentless abuse and tragedy, the conclusion is ultimately hopeful, if tied up a bit too neatly. Most characters are cued white.A wrenching and necessary read. (Verse fiction. 14-18)