Remind me how this ends by Gabrielle Tozer

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Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9781460751688
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Relationships. Grief. Decision-making.
Milo has finished school, but doesn't know where his life is headed. His long-term girlfriend has moved away to study and she now has a whole new life and a circle of 'friends' that do not include him. His parents are persistently on his back to encourage him to make a decision about the direction in his life... to overcome the lack of direction in his life. And into this turmoil of uncertainty about what the future will bring comes Layla. Layla is returning to the small town of her childhood, where she was well known and had grown up until her life was torn apart by the loss of her mother in a dreadful accident. Still grieving, and struggling in a relationship that is complicated by her tangled past, she blows back into town and reconnects with Milo, her neighbour and friend from childhood. Her vibrancy and spark ignites Milo in directions that he was not expecting and gives them both a human anchor to hold onto as they are buffeted by choices and decision-making.
Rich in the psychology of young relationships and the difficulties of grieving well, and also in the angst and uncertainty of laying the pathway to adulthood, this is a book that will appeal to young readers. The text conversations between the main characters are refreshing, with the humour laced with feistiness and the spark of personality that is endearing. What seems an inevitable road in their friendship has its own twists and turns, and you will wonder along the way about how this will end... will there be tears, or is this the start of something new? Gabrielle Tozer writes well for older teens, and although her characters reflect teenage 'types', they have their own unique ways of relating and interacting and responding to their world. Set in a regional town, the weight of expectations and the circumstances for teens who need to make big decisions at a young age impact upon the direction of the characters. This book demonstrates that many decisions can be difficult and Tozer avoids giving neat and trite solutions to the complexities that teens face.
Carolyn Hull

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