THIS IS ME TRYING

The age gap between teens cast as Romeo and Juliet in 2010 Bristol, England, has long-term consequences.

Brooke, 14, daydreams about forbidden romantic love. There’s undeniable chemistry on stage between her and her co-star, Matt, but after they kiss at his 18th birthday celebration, Matt’s awkward attempts to backpedal fail. He’s drawn to Brooke despite recognizing the impropriety, and they see each other secretly, having unplanned sex right before he leaves for Lancaster University. Brooke is unsettled to learn in a sex ed class that her age means she couldn’t legally consent, and that Matt committed statutory rape; she struggles with depression and self-harm. In the second half of the story, the timeline jumps jarringly to 2014 and 2018. Readers glimpse the lasting impact of that first summer in the trajectory of the white-presenting leads’ adult lives. At 18, Brooke begins a new life in Seattle. A rocky start gradually smooths into a stable career and new love, and a therapist helps her address her self-esteem and codependency issues. Matt, never fully acknowledging his responsibility as the legal adult in their dysfunctional relationship, is unable to move on, though the ending suggests possible closure. The alternating first-person narration features more telling than showing, limiting the depth of the characterization, and the gritty adult storylines may be of limited appeal to teens.

A portrait of codependency and consent that never fully coalesces.