What We Wish For

Gr 7-10–Layla, 15, keeps many secrets from her classmates and even from her best friends—secrets like the fact that her mother is an addict and that they live at the homeless shelter. She has no idea that an even bigger secret will soon turn her life upside down. It seems that things are taking a turn for the better when her mother gets her 30-day sobriety chip and a job interview; but for Layla, good things never last. When her mother overdoses, and Layla winds up in her estranged aunt and uncle’s mansion with a cousin who obviously dislikes her, she learns that even those who seem to have it all are hiding dangerous secrets. Layla meets and is instantly attracted to a classmate, a recovering addict who also lives at the shelter. Layla is a strong and resilient teen, but she has typical teen problems, and the burden of caring for an addicted mother, while keeping so much of her life hidden, causes her to suffer anxiety, guilt, and low self-esteem. She is surrounded by well-defined characters, each of whom carries his or her own problems and secrets. Sensitive topics, e.g., suicide, physical abuse, and drug and alcohol abuse by adults and teens, are discussed frankly, and in a way that illustrates the widespread effect of these problems on families and friends. There is no fairy-tale ending but a hopeful one for Layla and her family.