Ever since her older brother Noah disappeared, Molly feels like she doesn’t have a friend in the world except her service dog Pixel. So when Red, a fun-loving homeless teen and Christo, a super cute new guy, come into her life on the same day, she feels as though she’s hit the jackpot. There’s just two small problems: 1) Red suffers from schizoaffective disorder, which means she hears voices and sometimes sees things that aren’t there, 2) It’s nearly Christmas, and Christo has to leave the morning after their first date to fly to New York with his family for the holidays. Molly, whose parents have become zombies since her brother left, is determined to give Red the kind of holiday her family used to have before they fell apart. So while Christo is in New York, she tries desperately to worm Red’s real address or home phone number out of her in order to tell her mother that she’s okay. But when Red starts taking in earnest to the voices in her head, and Christo suddenly stops texting, Molly is forced to ask her checked-out parents for help and finally come to terms with what really happened to Noah. This heartfelt verse novel, full of bigger-than-life characters and surprising twists, is classic Sonya Sones. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good novel, complete with holiday cheer and sincere emotion, look no further. It’s the perfect gift to give or get any teen reader this holiday season.
