Rowan Slone

Seven years ago, an innocent act by Rowan Slone turned her life into a nightmare. Since the age of 10 she’s lived with the burden of her baby brother’s death. Now she is 17, and all she wants to do is graduate high school, go to college, and escape the loveless family she has endured all these years - the same family that holds her responsible for his death. But no one holds her responsible more than herself. When longtime crush Mike Anderson invites her to the prom, suddenly her future looks brighter. But Rowan’s younger sister is determined to ruin her newfound happiness.

Appalachian teen Rowan Slone has left her dysfunctional, violent past behind. She’s ready for her senior year in high school, she has a new job that she loves, and a safe place to call home. Rowan is close to achieving everything she’s ever wanted—a sense of family, a sense of purpose, and a sense of self. But there are cracks in Rowan’s new life as relationship issues threaten to send her future crumbling to the ground, including managing self-harm impulses. When her long-held secret is discovered, Rowan must find the courage to fight for the most important thing yet—herself.

Rowan Slone is settling into her first semester at college. On her own for the first time, she’s enjoying her work at the animal shelter, and she’s finally feeling in control of her life. But the past is back. When her old boyfriend texts out of nowhere, Rowan starts to feel that familiar fear that her life is about to be turned upside down — and not in a good way. Her mother’s new psychiatrist wants Rowan involved in her therapy even though Rowan wants nothing to do with her.