Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick


Has a book ever changed your life? When her English teacher hands Nanette The Bubblegum Reaper, an out of print novel about a disillusioned teen named Wrigley who decides to “quit” society, she quickly becomes obsessed with it, underlining sentences and memorizing passages that seem to speak directly to her. Then her teacher arranges a meeting between Nanette and Nigel Booker, TBR’s reclusive author, and Nanette is hopeful that Booker will explain some of the book’s cryptic symbolism. But the old curmudgeon refuses to discuss the novel at all, and instead introduces Nanette to Alex, a teenaged poet who’s just as obsessed with TBR as she is.  Together they start breaking the rules of society that don’t make sense to them, just like Wrigley does in the book. Alex goes after middle school bullies in order to protect his young friend Oliver and Nanette, a star soccer player with college scholarship prospects, suddenly quits the team senior year. At first they are exhilarated by their own daring, but they end up paying a price for their rebellion that lands Alex in reform school and propels Nanette in a terrifying direction that she’s not sure she’s brave enough to explore. Is she strong enough to reject society’s expectations of her? Armed with her copy of TBR and a playlist of Pat Benatar music, Nanette’s about to find out. This latest offering from the author of The Silver Linings Playbook is a fresh, smart take on the tolls of teen angst and will appeal to lovers of The Catcher in the Rye, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You and The Fault in Our Stars. Or, basically anyone who loves philosophical books, or books about books, or books about being in love or books about loving yourself. Coming to a library, bookstore or e-reader near you May 2016.