The Art of Feeling

For fans of Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places and Meg Wolitzer’s Belzhar comes an emotionally thrilling tale of a friendship between a girl who feels too much and a boy who feels too little, as they discover that maybe pain can bring people together and not just tear them apart.

Samantha Herring has been in constant pain ever since the car accident that injured her leg and killed her mother. After pushing her friends away, Sam has receded into a fog of depression until she meets Eliot, a carefree, impulsive loner who, is unable to feel any pain at all. At first, Sam is jealous. She would give anything to not feel the pain she’s felt for the past year. But the more she learns about Eliot’s medical condition, the more she notices his self-destructive tendencies.

In fact, Eliot doesn’t seem to care about anything—except Sam. And as they grow closer, they begin to confront Sam’s painful memories of the accident, memories that hold a startling truth about what really happened that day.

• Opposites Attract: She lives in a world of constant physical and emotional pain. He feels nothing at all. Together, Sam and Eliot find a connection that might be the only thing that can heal them.
• Grief and Loss: A year after the car accident that took her mother and left her with a permanent injury, Sam is still lost in a fog of depression, pushing away everyone who tries to get close.
• A Story About Mental Health: This moving young adult novel unflinchingly explores the realities of trauma, depression, and self-destructive behavior with nuance and authentic emotion.
• Disability Representation: A powerful portrayal of a teen girl navigating high school and a new relationship while living with chronic pain and a physical disability.
• A Shocking Secret: As they grow closer, Eliot helps Sam confront her memories of the crash—and uncover a startling truth that will change everything she thought she knew about that day.