Optimists Die First

Award-winning author Susin Nielsen has written a laugh-out-loud and heartrending novel for fans of Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means and Cammie McGovern's Say What You Will.   Beware: Life ahead.   Sixteen-year-old Petula de Wilde is anything but wild. A former crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula shut herself off from the world after a family tragedy. She sees danger in all the ordinary things, like crossing the...
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Award-winning author Susin Nielsen has written a laugh-out-loud and heartrending novel for fans of Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means and Cammie McGovern's Say What You Will.
 
Beware: Life ahead.
 
Sixteen-year-old Petula de Wilde is anything but wild. A former crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula shut herself off from the world after a family tragedy. She sees danger in all the ordinary things, like crossing the street, a bug bite, or a germy handshake. She knows: life is out to get you.
 
The worst part of her week is her comically lame mandatory art therapy class with a small group of fellow misfits. Then a new boy, Jacob, appears at school and in her therapy group. He seems so normal and confident, though he has a prosthetic arm; and soon he teams up with Petula on a hilarious project, gradually inspiring her to let go of some of her fears. But as the two grow closer, a hidden truth behind why he's in the group threatens to derail them, unless Petula takes a huge risk. . .

Praise:
Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year

"Nielsen writes with sensitivity, empathy, and humor." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred
 
"Nielsen excels at depicting troubled, clever teenagers in familiar environments." --School Library Journal, Starred 

"[An] empathic and deeply moving story, balanced by sharply funny narration and dialogue." --Publishers Weekly, Starred

"A poignant exploration into the nuances of healing." --Quill and Quire, Starred