Behind You

YALSA QUICK PICK

YALSA TOP TEN BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

“Poignant. . . . With tenderness and compassion, the author exposes the characters’ vulnerabilities and offers the hope that they will emerge and grow from this tragic loss. . . . Readers who savor tough reality stories as much as happy endings will appreciate this thought-provoking, satisfying novel that offers hope but no easy answers.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Moving. . . . Woodson writes with impressive poetry about race, love, death, and what grief feels like—the things that ‘snap the heart’—and her characters’ open strength and wary optimism will resonate with many teens.” —Booklist

“Woodson plays the language of feeling with an often stunning virtuosity; her crystalline vision makes each voice herein resonate with its own particular emotional tone. . . . There are moments of real beauty in this melancholy yet ultimately life-affirming examination of grief.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books