Will, an agender teen, struggles with the haunting aftermath of parental abuse as they forge a new life and love in this novel that is perfect for fans of If These Wings Could Fly and Last Night at the Telegraph Club.Will is a 17-year-old on the cusp of freedom: freedom from providing and caring for their abusive, addicted mother, freedom from their small town with an even smaller mindset, and the freedom from having to hide who they truly are. When their drug dealer mother dies months before their 18th birthday, Will is granted their freedom earlier than expected. But their mother’s last words haunt Will: She cursed them with her dying breath, claiming her death was their fault. Soon their mother’s drug-dealing past threatens Will’s new shiny future, leaving Will scrambling to find their beloved former foster mother Raz before Child Protective Services or local drug dealers find them first. But how do you reconnect with family and embark on a new love when you’re convinced you destroy everything you touch?
Maya MacGregor is a writer, singer, and artist. Maya sings and writes in Gàidhlig and in English. You can find their bilingual work on tor.com, in
Steall magazine (summer 2020), and
Uncanny magazine, with poetry in
Poets’ Republic and elsewhere.
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester, which earned three starred reviews and was a 2022 Kirkus Best Book, was their debut young adult novel.
"A bittersweet portrait of an agender teen finding true family following parental abuse...MacGregor sensitively renders Will’s harrowing circumstances, culminating in an emotionally satisfying resolution."
—Publishers Weekly
"MacGregor’s second YA novel makes an artistic leap to second-person narration that gives Will distance from the many sources of pain and trauma in their life, and the author’s experiences being queer and autistic give Will and Julian deeper nuance."
—Booklist
"In Maya MacGregor’s empowering novel
The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will, an agender teenager learns to acknowledge their trauma, find strength in others, and exist without apologies...The book is narrated to Will by Will, resulting in intimacy...and the people around them are diverse and authentic, too." —
Foreword Reviews
"Written in the second person, this work puts readers in Will’s shoes, following their harrowing story in a deeply personal way. Will’s life is one of perseverance and possessing the desire to move forward despite extreme hardship. The story also highlights how youths who have been through traumatic experiences can ultimately thrive. An intense and introspective exploration of trauma and survival." —
Kirkus Reviews
