Synopses & Reviews
* “Self-deprecating humor abounds in this debut novel that pulls no punches about the experience of depression and anxiety for its teen protagonist. . . . Captivating introspection from a winning character.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Sixteen-year-old James Whitman has been yawping (à la Whitman) at his abusive father ever since he kicked his older sister out of the house. James’s painful struggle with anxiety and depression—along with his ongoing quest to understand what led to his sister’s exile—make for a heart-rending read, but his wild, exuberant Whitmanization of the world and keen sense of humor keep this emotionally charged novel buoyant. A Morris Award Honor Book.
Review
* "Nolan leavens this haunting but hopeful story with spot-on humor and a well developed cast of characters, and she shows with moving clarity the emotional costs of mental illness, especially on teens forced to parent their own parents."--
Booklist, starred review
* "In this distinct and effective blend of sorrow and humor, Jason, once invisible to his classmates and used to the chaos at home, suffers the effects of change when he's enrolled in a lunch-hour group therapy with other wayward teens and his father is taken away...he slowly learns, with the help of his new friends and foster parents, normalcy and how to care for himself first."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Review
"Hilarious."--
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Thought-provoking."--School Library Journal (starred review)
"The plot is intricate, sharp, and invigorating."--Booklist (starred review)
Review
"Nolan does a masterful job of drawing readers into the girl's mind and of making them care deeply about her chances for the future."--School Library Journal and#160; "Exceptionally well-written . . . [A] sad, funny, and tender story."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
[set star] and#147;An emotional roller-coaster ride . . .and#160;A profound and heartwarming message about the various manifestations of love.and#8221;and#151;
Publishers Weekly (starred)and#160;[set star] and#147;Only a writer as talented as Han Nolan could make this improbable story line and bizarre cast of characters not only believable, but ultimately uplifting, intriguing, and memorable.and#8221;and#151;
Booklist (starred)
Review
"Roskos has created a character that does not necessarily change throughout the book, but learns to live with himself as he is, to celebrate himself and those around him even as flawed as they are."
—VOYA, 4Q 3P S
"Self-deprecating humor abounds in this debut novel that pulls no punches about the experience of depression and anxiety for its teen protagonist . . . Captivating introspection from a winning character."
—Kirkus, starred review
"Author Roskos's strength lies in his refusal to tidy up the mess in James's life and in his relentless honesty about surviving with depression and anxiety."
—Horn Book
"Roskos effectively sketches James as a boy who is far more comfortable inside his own head than in connecting with others . . . Bravely facing real sorrow, James confronts his problems with grace and courage."
—Publishers Weekly
"Roskos' first novel is rich with hilarity and realistic inner dialogue . . . Give this darkly funny debut to fans of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower."
—Booklist
"Roskos perfectly captures the voice of a teen."
—School Library Journal
"Many teen readers will recognize their own mood swings as they are amplified through James' pendulum, and they'll be enlightened by his revelation that life can be possible and rewarding even when it's really hard."
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
"Bold . . . deeply felt and often compelling."--
Kirkus Reviews"Brilliantly rendered."--Booklist
"Page-turning."--VOYA
Review
star "Raw, rough, and riveting . . . The writing is superb; like the blues, it bores through the soul. . . . Readers will be absorbed in this intimate and painful voyage."--
School Library Journal (starred review)
"Absolutely riveting . . . Leshaya captivates with her strength and determination."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Jason has fallen upon bad times—his mother has died and his father has succumbed to mental illness. As he tries to hold his crazy father and their crumbling home together, Jason relies on a host of imaginary friends for guidance as he stumbles along trying not to draw attention to his fathers deteriorating condition.
Both heartbreaking and funny, Crazy lives up to the intense and compelling characters Han Nolan is praised for. As Jason himself teeters on the edge of insanity, Nolan uncovers the clever coping system he develops for himself and throws him a lifeline in the guise of friendship.
Synopsis
A sleepy, God-fearing community in Alabama erupts in chaos when a flamboyant artist from New York City has visions of Jesus.
Synopsis
Things used to be normal in Casper, Alabama. Charity Pittman was a regular fourteen-year-old, the perfect daughter, following in her preacher father's footsteps. But then Adrienne arrived, with her big-city ways and artsy ideas. Reverend Pittman thinks she's the devil incarnate. Charity thinks she's amazing.
But no one knows what to think of Adrienne when she claims she's seen Jesus.
In the heartening and humorous book that made the National Book Award shortlist, Han Nolan visits a small town that's praying for a miracle but heading for disaster.
Reader's guide and an interview with the author included.
Synopsis
A brand new paperback edition of the novel that put Han Nolan on the map
Synopsis
Miracle McCloy comes from an unusual family: Her father, Dane is a prodigy who published his first book at age thirteen; her grandmother, Gigi, is clairvoyant; and her mother was dead when her "miracle" daughter was pulled from her womb. Having been raised according to a set of mystical rules and beliefs, Miracle is unable to cope in the real world. Lost in a desperate dance among lit candles, she sets herself afire and comes to in a hospital. There, a young psychiatrist helps herand#160;navigate her painful struggle to take charge of her life. and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Includes a reader's guide and an interview with the author.Synopsis
After Grandma Mary dies, sixteen-year-oldand#160;JPand#8217;s safe, secure world quickly unravels. He finds himself living in complete chaos when his mother wins a farmhouse in an essay contest and insists on sharing her good fortune with other neighborhood outcasts. Suddenly there are no rules, and the house is filled with poets, musicians, a reformed drug addict, an abused teen, and too many others who seem to have replacedand#160;JP and his fatherand#160;in his motherand#8217;s life.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; JP longs for his family to be restored to what it once was. But then somehow, amid the madness, his idea of family is redefined in ways he never expected.
Synopsis
Hilary hates Jews. As part of a neo-Nazi gang in her town, she's finally found a sense of belonging. But when she's critically injured in an accident, everything changes.
Somehow, in her mind, she has become Chana, a Jewish girl fighting for her own life in the ghettos and concentration camps of World War II.
Han Nolan offers powerful insight into one young woman's survival through the Holocaust and another's journey out of hatred and self-loathing.
Reader's guide and an interview with the author included.
Synopsis
Powerful fiction from National Book Award-winning author Han Nolan. Fifteen-year-old Jason has fallen on bad times—his mother has died and his father has succumbed to mental illness. As he tries to hold his crazy father and their crumbling home together, Jason relies on a host of imaginary friends for guidance. Both heartbreaking and funny,
Crazy provides more of the intense and compelling characters Han Nolan is praised for.
Synopsis
A teen learns to appreciate his unique family and friends in this novel by National Book Awardand#150;winning author
Synopsis
A16-year-old boy attempts to save himself by writing poems, hugging trees, and figuring out what it takes to be a good brother. James experiences the highs and lows of depression as he tries to figure out how its possible to survive, even when everyone else seems to be doing all they can to make a kid feel crazy.
Synopsis
A sleepy, God-fearing community in Alabama erupts in chaos when a flamboyant artist from New York City returns to her hometown for an artistic experiment. “A fresh voice and an enigmatic subject combine to make kids engage in an activity they probably dont do much-contemplate.”-Booklist
Synopsis
A neo-Nazi teen is transported back in time to World War II Poland, where she is now a Jewish girl in a Nazi ghetto.
Synopsis
She may be poor, abused, and self-destructive, but Leshaya is determined to become a famous singer like Etta James.
Synopsis
Leshaya is a survivor. Rescued from the brink of death, this child of a heroin addict has seen it all: revolving foster homes, physical abuse, an unwanted pregnancy. Now, as her tumultuous childhood is coming to an end, she is determined to make a life for herself by doing the only thing that makes her feel whole . . . singing.
Han Nolan pulls no punches in this hard-hitting story of a girl at the bottom who dreams of nothing but the top.
Synopsis
As sixteen-year-old Hilary, a neo-Nazi, lies wounded in a Jewish hospital, she slips into a coma and begins to relive the harrowing memories of Chana-a Jewish girl whose family was brutalized in the wartime ghettos and Nazi death camps of Poland. At the same time, Hilary begins to come to terms with difficult memories of her own. When she wakes, she finally finds herself on the path to recovery from a lifetime of rage and resentment. Chanas story . . . is brilliantly rendered.”-Booklist
About the Author
Leshaya is a survivor. Rescued from the brink of death, this child of a heroin addict has seen it all: revolving foster homes, physical abuse, an unwanted pregnancy. Now, as her tumultuous childhood is coming to an end, she is determined to make a life for herself by doing the only thing that makes her feel whole . . . singing.
Han Nolan pulls no punches in this hard-hitting story of a girl at the bottom who dreams of nothing but the top.
She may be poor, abused, and self-destructive, but Leshaya is determined to become a famous singer like Etta James.
star "Raw, rough, and riveting . . . The writing is superb; like the blues, it bores through the soul. . . . Readers will be absorbed in this intimate and painful voyage."--School Library Journal(starred review)
"Absolutely riveting . . . Leshaya captivates with her strength and determination."--Kirkus Reviews(starred review)
HAN NOLANhas won many awards for her teen fiction, including the National Book Award forDancing on the Edge. She lives in New England.