THE YEAR I STOPPED TRYING

A rule-following teen falls off her prescribed path in this contemporary novel.

Sixteen-year-old Mary Davies misses a homework assignment, and it becomes the catalyst for a journey of self-discovery that involves leaving work undone, skipping extra credit options, and pursuing Mitch, a guy she has a sort-of history with, as she becomes untethered from her self-image as an overachiever. Brief vignettes narrated in Mary’s wry, clever, often funny first-person voice propel the story forward, including the ups and downs of her job at a fast-casual restaurant where a new co-worker, Elyse, is a kindred spirit whom Mary is thrilled to befriend. The narrative strikes a balance between humor, wise insights, and spot-on depictions of the awkward spaces that often accompany newfound self-awareness. Mary’s Catholic upbringing is an integral part of her character, and many of her musings about faith seem to leave her with more questions than answers. The cast of secondary characters is also carefully developed, and the nuances of their relationships to Mary realistically change as she comes to understand them differently and comes to some conclusions—including ones about her actual feelings for Mitch—that leave off somewhat ambiguously but on a hopeful note. Mary and Mitch are White; Korean American Elyse is gay.

Sparing and intelligent, with humor and heart in equal measure.