THE BEST WEEK THAT NEVER HAPPENED

A teen girl gets to live the best week of her life, but something feels wrong.

Tegan Rossi wakes up in the secret-hideout lava tube of her childhood vacations on the Big Island of Hawaii. She doesn’t remember how she got there, why she’s there, or really anything since graduating high school a few weeks prior. When she finds Kai Kapule, the childhood friend from Hawaii she’s kept in touch with, she concludes she must have come to surprise him. Tegan gets caught up in paradise with Kai, letting herself give in to the moment. But things aren’t quite right: Nightmares haunt her sleep, her scar from an old sports injury is gone, no one can reach her parents, and she’s got an unexplainable hourglass tattoo. This debut novel is captivating and moving. Most of the story is told from Tegan’s present-day point of view, with her memories and messages from Kai woven in. The nightmare she has keeps building on itself, revealing more of her lost memories, creating anticipation and suspense. There is hope in second chances, mixed with first love and the fear, heartache, and joy of living. Some of the best experiences Hawaii has to offer are highlighted, including shave ice, waterfalls, snorkeling, and malasadas. Kai’s name cues him as Hawaiian; Tegan is implied white.

A dazzling, emotional story of love, loss, and living in the moment.