This luminous, haunting debut, alternating between now and then,
reality and magic, tells the story of a girl confronting heartbreak
while at a mysterious recovery program in the wilderness.
When seventeen-year-old Eli arrives at Raeth, a remote mountain retreat
for teens with mental health issues, her mind is made up--she is not
interested in participating, and she doesn't need to "heal." Still
reeling from a breakup that left both her heart and faith shattered, she
is determined to fake being "fine" so that the program's warden will
clear her to return home.
But the retreat itself has other ideas. The valley's magical
surroundings transform each time she ventures out, playing with her mind
and dredging up her grief-laden memories. Despite the warning signs, Eli
explores more of the area than she had ever planned, even venturing into
the dangerous night realm.
This spellbinding novel mixes prose and poetry into an exquisite and
evocative portrait of love, grief, depression, and the slow path toward
healing.