One and Done

It all began with trying to fly. After jumping off the roof of his house in the middle of the night, Daniel Kim wakes up far from Neverland, his reprieve from the real world. Thrust into a mental health hospital and then into a brand-new high school, he struggles to hold on to reality while haunted by both his very-present past and his never-present parents. But when he joins Cranbrook Preparatory’s cross-country team, he starts to feel like he’s walking on his own two feet once again. He meets Jiwon Yoon—another cross-country runner, who may be the first person to join Daniel in his Neverland daydreams. Or maybe Jiwon is the one who will finally break Daniel free.

Content warning: Emotional trauma, attempted suicide, mental illness.

 

"In his daydreams, Daniel, who is White and Korean, is the confident leader of the Lost Boys who spends his days seeking treasure and battling Captain Hook. There are no strict, distant parents in Neverland, no homophobic classmates, no pressure for him to be someone he isn’t. In real life, Daniel is a junior at Cranbrook Prep in Southern California, having transferred to the school for a fresh start following a suicide attempt over the summer… The portrayals of mental illness and trauma recovery are handled honestly and sensitively. There is no magical solution…An ultimately uplifting story that does not shy away from the discomfort of reality."–Kirkus Reviews, 01/01/2022

"Ellzey’s novel is a sensitive story from a gifted writer...While the book has some triggering content, such as suicide attempts and mental illness, the author never equates Daniel’s mental struggles to his sexuality. It is a very keen move to draw that line very cleanly. Daniel is a fresh take on LGTBQIA+ youth representation who many readers will gravitate to; he is relatable without being stereotypical and his story is one young adults will want to read. VERDICT This debut novel belongs on the shelves of all libraries that serve high school readers."–School Library Journal, 05/01/2022

 

Ben considers himself lucky. He found Gabriel early in life and he is loved.

But at twenty-one, he’s beginning to question if the boat of youthful independence will soon set sail without him. Will his devotion to Gabriel prevent him from exploring with other guys? Will he ever get to experience the heart-wavering thrill of falling in love again?

Vacationing on Gabriel’s family boat on the French Riviera, Ben is unprepared for the arrival of Leo, a beautiful adolescent thriving in the noontide of carefree nonchalance. Over the course of a single day, Ben battles his burgeoning lust and intensifying guilt.

Will he betray Gabriel, who has done nothing but love him? Or can he resist the carnal temptation of the most beautiful boy he has ever seen?

Eric Matthews survives a near-fatal accident only to find his whole life has changed. Eric Matthews wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how he wound up there--and soon learns that it's vital that he remember. Apparently, he was in a car accident, and the body of classmate Sean Brody was found in his car, shot to death. But nothing makes sense to Eric. He and Sean weren't friends. In fact, they disliked each other. Sean was gay, and Eric is...well, he's not sure of much right now! Except he is certain he didn't shoot Sean, even though he can't remember anything about the day of the accident. To make matters worse, he starts having psychic flashes about the people around him: his doctor, a nurse, his mother, and other visitors. As Eric's memories slowly start to come back to him, he becomes more and more certain that not only is he innocent, but that the real murderer is out there...and wants to shut him up permanently. Author: Greg HerrenPages: 240Pub Date: March 2011ISBN 13: 9781602825093Read an excerptRead reviews of this title

Montessori teacher Sky Roberts doesn’t think twice about entering a charity raffle for a free vacation. She can hardly believe it when the winning ticket turns out to be hers, but the trip conflicts with the summer school program she’s scheduled to teach. She can’t give up on her students.

Drew Mitchell excels in her job as a travel agent, and her success makes up for never quite measuring up to her family’s gender expectations and her disappointingly single status. That’s why she’s determined to win her company’s latest competition for best travel package and be named the top regional agent.

Drew can’t believe Sky is turning down a free vacation. She <i>has</i> to take this trip. In a desperate attempt to get Sky to change her mind and ask another teacher to step in for her, Drew suggests they go on the vacation together. What better way to relax than with your very own travel guide? Plus, she can win the competition by keeping tabs on her travel plan as it unfolds.

As Sky and Drew travel beautiful Fiji together, they’re about to discover that the trip of a lifetime may just lead to the kind of love they've been searching for.

The boy on the gurney is dying. Held at gunpoint by a subterranean terrorist, Dr. Rayne Garcia fights to save his life. One false move will put everyone in danger. She’s seriously regretting volunteering at the third-floor free clinic when she usually works in one of the Eastern Coastal City skyscrapers.

Kaelyn Dark doesn’t like the label terrorist when all she wanted was to protect her people against the military units sent by the corrupt Celestial authorities. Kaelyn has brought the child, critically injured during a Celestial raid, into an enemy clinic. Attempting to save his life is reckless and desperate, but she’s unable to foresee how intertwined her and Rayne’s fates will become.

Meeting Kaelyn fuels Rayne’s suspicions about the propaganda fed to her and other Celestials. Once she takes a stand for what is right, she can never return to her opulent way of life—but can she survive the harsh conditions? A daring plan to migrate the subterranean population to live above ground—in peace, is underway. Kaelyn’s fought her entire life for this, and she can’t allow herself to fall for Rayne. If she loses focus and something goes wrong, it could mean the end for all of them.