MICHAEL DANTE DiMARTINO

When the weight of a devastating loss threatens to consume fourteen-year-old Jack, he retreats into a world of denial, desperate to erase the pain of his darkest day. But at what cost?

 

Jack Finn has experienced a perfect storm of grief and uncertainty with his father's sudden departure, the impending loss of his beloved home, and his best friend Alyssa's life-altering accident. But when Alyssa miraculously emerges from a coma with no memory of the incident, she turns to Jack for answers, forcing him to confront the painful truth he has been avoiding.

 

Terrified of revisiting that fateful day, Jack finds comfort in an unexpected friendship with a local man named Renny, a philosophical survivalist haunted by the losses in his own past. As Jack and Renny navigate the treacherous terrain of their shared sorrow, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, battling their inner demons and unearthing the truths that could set them free. But will Jack have the courage to confront life’s uncertainties and find his way back to the light? Or will he succumb to the darkness that surrounds him?

 

Journey alongside Jack as he embarks on an emotional quest to find solace and strength in the face of grief. Both Here and Gone is a heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting coming-of-age story with a psychological twist that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.