All Our Broken Pieces

Gr 9 Up—After the death of her mother and a three-month hospital stay for obsessive-compulsive disorder, Lennon Davis moves from Maine to Los Angeles to live with her father, his wife Claire, and stepsiblings Andrea and Jacob. Once there, Lennon takes up residence in a stark, gray bedroom where she finds security in the number five. If she taps the doorknob five times or switches the light off five times, over and over again, nothing bad will happen. Her neighbor Kyler Benton takes notice of what seems to be a disco show going on in Lennon's bedroom across the street. Kyler has his own issues—he hides a facial scar with hair and hoodies—but finds peace playing guitar and writing songs. When the two come together, a musician and his muse, a love story comes to life. Crichton's foray into young adult literature is nothing short of superb. Clearly well researched and handled sensitively, this novel will have readers in tears as Lennon and Kyler gain strength and acceptance within themselves. Issues are dealt with delicately in this emotionally charged story addressing teenage love, mental illness, physical defects, and more.