Crash into Me - Hardcover

Borris, Albert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416974350 ISBN 13: 9781416974352

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009

Synopsis

Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae have one thing in common: they all want to die. When they meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens make a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of celebrity suicides...and at their final destination, they will all end their lives. As they drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must decide whether life is worth living--or if there's no turning back.

"Crash Into Me puts readers in the driver's seat with four teens teetering on the edge of suicide. But will their cross country odyssey push them all the way over? Only the final page turn will tell, in Albert Borris's finely-crafted tale of friendship forged from a desperate need of connection. An exceptional first novel." --Ellen Hopkins, bestselling author of Crank

“Take a bathroom break and be sure you have a few free hours because from the moment you open this book you're going to be on the ultimate heartbreaking, poignant road trip to a place you never thought you'd go.” --Todd Strasser, bestselling author of Give a Boy a Gun

"Albert Borris is a powerful and insightful new voice in young adult fiction.” --Neal Schusterman, author of Unwind

About this title

About the Author

Albert Borris has tracked snow leopards in the Himalayas, backpacked through Iceland, and skated ultra-marathons in Georgia, but his favorite daily adventure is working with teens.  Albert is a national award winning student assistance counselor.  In spite of the bad jokes, he chooses to live in New Jersey.  Find out more about Albert’s writing, his latest adventures, and his Top 10 Most Embarrassing Moments at albertborris.com.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Introverted Owen, brash confabulator Audrey, struggling lesbian Jin-Ae, and alcoholic Frank don't seem to have much in common, but they bond online over a shared interest: to commit suicide. Some of them have already made repeated attempts, and now they make a pact. They take a cross-country road trip from New Jersey, visiting the graves of famous people who have killed themselves, that will culminate at Death Valley. There, they will take their own lives—no backing down, no changes of heart. But as they crisscross the states, these isolated, unhappy teens begin to connect over more than just their desire to die; as they share their darkest secrets and most cherished wishes, real friendship and even romantic love develop. As the end of their trip grows closer, the time comes to decide: Is life worth living in spite of the pain, or do they keep their deadly promise? Borris's understanding of the emotional lives of teenagers shines through in his nuanced, well-developed portrayals of the protagonists, particularly Owen, the narrator, who emerges as a wry and wise observer of his companions. The action never feels pat or predetermined, and the author's depiction of the complexities of depression and suicide is compassionate, nonjudgmental, and ultimately hopeful. This first novel is a gripping addition to YA collections.—Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1416974350
• ISBN 13: 9781416974352
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272