I Like You Like This

It’s 1984, and 16-year-old Hannah Zandana hates everything about herself: her acne, her wild hair, her lack of friends, and her parents, who alternate between verbal abusive and neglectful. Hannah’s luck seems to change when she meets Deacon Giroux, the school’s resident gorgeous bad boy—and drug dealer. After mistakenly buying LSD instead of weed, in an attempt to impress a group of popular girls, Hannah has a bad trip, and Deacon is there to help her come down. He doesn’t like labels, but from then on, they’re a couple in everything but name, as Hannah continues to suffer from her father’s form of “discipline” (he prefers “whore” and “harlot” to “sweetie” or “honey” when addressing his daughter) and annoyed indifference from her mother, who dotes on Hannah’s younger sister. Hannah’s struggles—to fit in or forge her own path—are far more interesting than Deacon’s woes, though Cumiskey gives them equal narrative weight. The flashy showdown at the end feels out of place with the overall tone of the novel, but the two teens’ unpredictable melting pot of emotions and attempts to find their place resonates. Ages 13–up. (Nov.)