We Are All Constellations

Description

Seventeen-year-old Iris is happy. She's fearless, she's strong. She is everything but a girl who lost her mum. But Iris's dad and step-mum have been keeping a secret. One big enough to unravel her. Only the magnetic Orla can provide an escape, until things get...complicated. As Iris questions who she is, it becomes clear she can't run away from grief. What happens when someone who has never faced up to the darkness lets it in?

Amy Beashel lives in Shropshire with her husband, two kids and a couple of kittens called Bird and Cat Dooku. She is passionate about inspiring young women to find their own voice. Incidentally, she is also the fastest woman in the world on a space hopper.

'This beautiful book will floor you and deserves to be on every shelf, everywhere.' Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces 'I am in complete and utter love with everything Amy Beashel writes, but this one may just be my favourite.' -- Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places 'This poignant, beautifully written story, with a queer love story at its centre, is about living life to the fullest and how facing painful truths can set you free.' -- The Bookseller 'This poignant YA story of long-frozen grief and gradual self-discovery is slyly funny, romantic and filled with unlikely beauty.' -- The Guardian 'A story exploring friendship, grief, sexuality, love, and family. A heart-wrenching read that will stay with you long after you have finished it.' -- School Librarian 'Every single relationship in this book is exquisitely realised and written... Amy Beashel's prose is incredible poetic and powerful... We Are All Constellations is a brilliantly insightful, heartbreakingly lyrical book. I have a new favourite contemporary YA writer. Amy Beashel is a shining constellation of stars and I will look out for whatever she writes in the future.' -- Armadillo Magazine 'Beashel brings emotion-packed metaphors to her sophomore novel. Through the eyes of its relatively small cast, she navigates sexuality, abuse, mental illness, and difficult family relationships with gentle and adept consideration. Characters are well-rounded, fleshed out with interests and motivations regardless of their scene count. Many readers will appreciate the book's handling of a mental health crisis and an afterword that lists resources regarding issues that appear in the book.' -- Booklist 'Amy Beashel's second novel, We Are All Constellations, echoes the emotional authenticity of her first... This is a book about mental illness without being anything as reductive as an "issue book": it is both insightful and compulsively readable.' -- Irish Times 'So tender, so beautiful, so exquisitely written.' Simon James Green, author of Gay Club 'An incredibly beautiful and moving book, as full of twists and turns as it is heart and compassion.' -- Kate Weston, author of Diary of a Confused Feminist 'A beautiful, nuanced and necessary book, handling difficult topics with great skill and without judgement.' -- Gina Blaxill, author of You Can Trust Me