Counting Flowers

Seventeen-year-old Natalie’s “harmless little quirks” calm and control her anxiety. She constantly makes lists and counts things, especially the 83 flowers her mother painted on her bedroom wall. Who wouldn’t be anxious when family standards include striving for perfection? First in her senior class at Pittsburgh’s West Brook Academy, she plans to attend Ivy League Penn, and her boyfriend is a popular soccer player. Her perfect life is barely under control, however: “All I know is that there’s this knot is my chest, strands of worry and guilt and anger looped around and around.” Then Natalie begins tutoring Owen—her family’s landscaper and a senior on hockey scholarship—who is “badass and silent” to her “friendly, sweet, and chatty.” Desperate to keep the status quo, she pushes Owen away despite her attraction. A revelation about her older brother Chase’s dangerous secrets and lies sends Natalie’s anxiety levels even higher, resulting in a crisis that makes her reconsider her mental health. Sharply written with keen dialogue and palpable sexual tension, Andrews’s novel allows readers to engage with Natalie’s every thought, doubt, and struggle. It’s a passionate story that explores the divide between lofty and unhealthy goals. Ages 14–up. (BookLife)