Optimists Die First

Sixteen-year-old Petula feels responsible for her young sister’s death and becomes pessimistic, develops phobias, and tries to bring control into her life by being overly vigilant in all areas of her life. Her controlled life, though, is shaken when Jacob joins her therapy group, and the two fall in love and have many life-changing adventures, but when Jacob’s tragic past is revealed, everyone must re-evaluate their relationship with him. This honest portrayal of issues teens face—loss, grief, drug addiction, family breakups, accidents, abuse—is handled with humour and perspective and will be useful for literary circles, journal writing, personal responses, and creative nonfiction writing.