A Pretty Implausible Premise

When Hattie and Presley meet, it’s love at first sight. Head-spinning, Taylor-Swift-song-level feelings.

Their instant connection seems implausible, even impossible, as they start to realize all they have in common. Both are grieving, living in worlds haunted by ghosts; both have a parent who’s out of sight, not out of mind; and both were forced to give up their Olympic dreams. Connected by experiences only they understand, Hattie and Presley fall into a whirlwind romance—flirting at their workplace, sleeping side by side beneath the stars, ice skating to a playlist all their own. But like the wildfires surrounding their California town, the trauma that haunts them is unrelenting. Can they overcome their losses without losing each other? Or will their ghosts break them apart?

• Praise for A Pretty Implausible Premise:
  
  "Told in literary and lyrical prose, this stunning contemporary coming-of-age novel rings romantically and nostalgically true. Contemporary readers will enjoy the snug-fitting references to Taylor Swift and (less obviously) John and Hank Green that give the novel a real world feel without inducing a cringe or a real threat of datedness, even for future readers... Heartfelt and cerebral enough to be cognitively delicious but not elitist, the prose and characterization make the overall result feel like a warm, glowing sunset." /B>Booklist, starred review
  
  "Rivers organically pulls off the improbable premise of love conquering all; lightly speculative elements, smart attention to each minute detail, and Hattie and Presley’s convincing character arcs proffer an at once melancholy and joyful romance." /B>Publishers Weekly, starred review
  
  "Rivers explores trauma with sensitivity: Readers see the wide range of emotions and coping mechanisms that can come into play." /B>Kirkus Reviews
  
  Praise for You Are the Everything:
  
  “This is good choice for those who enjoyed E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars or books with pieces that only fit together after a surprising ending. Fans of unreliable narrators and twist endings will clamor for this story of romance and survival.” /B>School Library Journal, starred review
  
  “Philosophical readers will find much to love here; Rivers picks apart the nuances of friendship and romance, with their attendant loyalties and conflicts . . .  You Are the Everything is an unusual and compelling novel that skillfully plays with narrative perspective.” /B>Booklist, starred review
  
  “Well-written and emotionally resonant, this is an unusual and poignant story . . . that explores unfulfilled dreams and ideas of what might have been.” /B>Kirkus Reviews
  
  "If you're looking for a contemporary romance that's different from any other book you've ever read, this one is for you.” 
  Young Adult Books Central