THE ART OF US

An unhoused teen finds her foundation.

Ireland Raine is living in a public bathroom on the outskirts of Arcata, California. She’s pretty self-sufficient, having been raised by her grifter father, who skipped town several weeks ago, leaving her to face eviction from their apartment. Ireland has “only a hazy memory of a mother.” She’s determined to pull off the ruse of not allowing anyone at school to know she’s unhoused. She’s also got a crush on new kid Kal Ellis, who’s an artist and plays in a band. When Kal sees Ireland for the first time, he’s shocked by her uncanny resemblance to his beloved Brell, who died in a tragic accident. He becomes smitten with Ireland and recruits her to be part of the school mural project he’s in charge of. Everything gets complicated quickly because, having followed her home one night (in a non-creepy way), he discovers her secret. But the weight of hiding this knowledge becomes an unbearable burden for Kal, setting off a series of events that threaten to come between the young couple, who are each holding on to demons they’re unable to share with one another. Told from each of their third-person perspectives, the story doesn’t rush readers along; it takes its time, thoughtfully allowing events to unravel and revealing secrets. Kal has dark hair and olive skin, and Ireland is cued white.

A sweet love story and a thoughtful exploration of timely social issues.