Our Chemical Hearts

Gr 9 Up—First love can be painful. When Henry Page meets Grace Town, he senses she is different—she dresses in boys' clothes that are too big for her, walks with a cane, and seems unwashed and unkempt. The teens are thrown together to work as editors on the school newspaper, and Grace's mysteriousness draws Henry to her. Grace has a secretive and unstable home life, and she is recovering from horrific injuries from a car accident that killed her boyfriend. On her good days, life is great, but other days she withdraws into herself. Secondary characters add much-needed comic relief to the dark romance—quirky best friends Lola and Murray, Henry's offbeat parents, and his brilliant and rebellious older sister. Voice-over actor Robbie Draymond's youthful tone effectively brings Henry to life, conveying the uncertainty and obsession that can come with first love. Draymond's performances of the other characters are not as notable, with the exception of two teen characters read with Australian and Irish accents. Witty banter peppered with pop culture references balances the drama and angst.