Gr 9 Up--Cash Pruitt loves the simple beauty of his rural Tennessee hometown, boating on the Pigeon River, and his grandparents, Mamaw and Papaw, who raised him after his mother died of an overdose. He also loves the complex mind of his best friend Delaney Doyle, a science genius whose boundless knowledge of the natural world fills him with wonder. Both children of an opioid-addicted parent, Delaney and Cash have a deep bond that is shaken for the first time when Delaney's scientific discovery catapults her to overnight fame. This discovery--a mold with powerful antibiotic properties, found with Cash in a riverfront cave--lands them both scholarships at prestigious Middleford Academy in New Canaan, Connecticut. Cash worries that Papaw, who has emphysema, will die while he is away at school, but accepts the scholarship at Papaw's urging. At Middleford, he is buoyed by a poetry class that shows him the power of language to reshape experiences of pain and fear into beauty. Lyrical and heartbreaking, this novel captures the wonder of ordinary moments with extraordinary tenderness. As in Zentner's earlier works, grief is a central theme explored in many forms, ranging from the trauma of Cash's mother's death to the anticipatory sense of loss Cash feels at leaving a sick family member to chase a dream that scares him. A rich sense of place runs through the novel. Cash and Delaney are white; supporting characters are Brazilian and Korean American. VERDICT A wise, gorgeous exploration of loss and survival that will make readers cry. A first purchase.--Elizabeth Giles, Kansas City P.L., MO

After discovering a bacteria-eating mold in a local cave, two high school sophomores are offered full scholarships to a prestigious academy in Zentner's (Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee) tender novel of love and loss. Introspective nature lover Cash Pruitt and science-minded genius Delaney Doyle, both white, have lived their whole lives in their economically depressed Appalachian town, having met at a group for teens whose parents struggle with addiction. When Delaney's findings land her a spot at the exclusive boarding school (and she refuses to attend unless Cash is invited, too), he's reluctant to leave his grandparents behind for an opportunity that he doesn't feel he's earned. He's particularly loath to move away from his grandfather, who is slowly dying from emphysema. But he accepts, and far from the comfort of his family--and the river and mountains he loves--Cash begins to build friendships and develop unexpected passions, like poetry, that allow him to see the world, and himself, through new eyes. Notable is the warmth, physical affection, and gentleness between Cash and those he loves, while well-crafted poems throughout, written by Cash as he finds his voice, are evocative and moving, highlighting Zentner's impressive skill with both poetry and prose. Ages 14--up. Agent: Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management Literary. (Aug.)

Sixteen-year-old Cash's best friend Delaney has--with Cash's help--made an astonishing scientific discovery that leads to her being offered a full scholarship to the tony Middleford prep school in Connecticut, a world away from their small East Tennessee town. Delaney accepts on the condition that Cash be offered a similar scholarship. The school agrees, but Cash has reservations, principally because he is reluctant to leave his beloved papaw, who is dying of emphysema. But Delaney is persuasive, and soon the two are off to Connecticut, where they at first feel as out of place as brown shoes with a tuxedo. Happily, though, they soon make friends: Korean American Alex and beautiful Vi, who is from Brazil. Cash falls in love with Vi, but when he reveals his feelings, she rejects him, explaining that he is in love with Delaney. Cash is thunderstruck, but is it possible that he actually might be? Zentner (Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee, 2019) has crafted a heartfelt and deeply moving love story with a well-realized prep school setting and wonderfully empathetic characters. The novel's prose is beautiful--the sky holds "gleaming soapsud clouds," while freckles are "an atlas of stars"--though occasionally overwritten. But this is a small quibble about a book that readers will unhesitatingly take to their hearts.

East Tennessee teens Cash Pruitt and Delaney Doyle met at a support group for kids whose parents struggle with addiction. Cash has lived with Mamaw and Papaw ever since his mother died. After brilliant Delaney discovers a mold with antibacterial properties in a cave on the Pigeon River, she's given a full ride to a Connecticut prep school--which she accepts on the condition that Cash be admitted too. While Delaney is eager to go, Cash is reluctant: deeply grounded in the natural beauty of his home, unsure he can keep up academically, and dreading leaving Papaw, whose emphysema is worsening. Traveling from their mostly White, economically distressed town to Middleford Academy, a school filled with global elites, brings measures of disorientation, inspiration, mockery--and true friendship. Cash quickly befriends Alex, a working-class Korean American scholarship student, and they form a tight foursome with Delaney and her wealthy Brazilian roommate, Vi. A poetry class with a teacher who becomes a trusted mentor becomes a lifeline--and an anchor to his roots--as Cash struggles with homesickness, attraction to Vi, and tension with Delaney. In writing suffused with raw emotion, Zentner shows respectful care for his characters; natural dialogue and a strongly developed sense of place demonstrate their evolution. The beauty of the language will invite readers to linger over sentences that speak to deep truths. A brilliant treasure of a book that holds up a mirror to the best parts of our humanity. (Fiction. 14-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.