STEPPING OFF

A teenage boy faces love, loss, heartbreak, and hope in Sonnenblick’s latest.

Jesse Dienstag’s life is divided into two worlds. In his hometown of New York City, he attends an elite STEM magnet school, deals with family drama, and feels isolated, even while surrounded by millions of people. He much prefers the comfort and camaraderie he finds in Pennsylvania, where he spends weekends and summers at his family’s vacation home in Tall Pines Landing, a community whose motto is “The real world isn’t real!” Tall Pines has the added benefit of also being the summer home of Chloe Conti and Ava Green, childhood friends who suddenly spark new feelings in Jesse. When tragedy strikes halfway through the summer of his 16th birthday and the hits and losses carry over into the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jesse is forced to reconcile with the truth that the real world is, in fact, very real, and that part of growing up is learning to let people go. The characters are well developed, multifaceted, and easy to empathize with. The languid pace of the summertime chapters evokes a sense of peace and comfort, while the panic and uncertainty surrounding the early days of the pandemic will deeply resonate with many readers. Main characters read white; Jesse’s and Ava’s families are Jewish.

A bittersweet look at coming of age before and during a worldwide pandemic.