{"product_id":"if-only-isbn-9780062393630","title":"If Only","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAcclaimed author Jennifer Gilmore’s intimate and achingly beautiful novel deftly explores the role that chance and choice play in shaping the lives of two teenagers who are separated by sixteen years, but whose lives are intertwined.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e*Two Starred Reviews!*\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This emotional, visceral novel haunted me in the best ways. Jennifer Gilmore has written something of real depth, which will leave readers thinking for a long time about the lives that other people lead, as well as the ones they might have led. If Only is gripping and shiveringly beautiful; a true achievement.”—Meg Wolitzer, bestselling author of The Interestings and Belzhar\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBEFORE: \u003c\/b\u003eWhen Bridget imagined her life at sixteen, it didn’t look like this. She didn’t think that her boyfriend would dump her for another girl. And she certainly didn’t think that she would be pregnant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith just a few months until she gives birth, Bridget must envision an entirely new future—one for her baby. But as she sifts through the many paths and the many people who want to parent her child, she can’t help but feel that there is no right decision.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAFTER: \u003c\/b\u003eIvy doesn’t know much about her birth mother. She knows that she is now the same age Bridget was when she placed Ivy for adoption. She knows that Bridget was the one who named her. And she knows that fifteen years ago Bridget disappeared from Ivy’s and her adoptive moms’ lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIvy wants to discover more about herself, but as she goes to find Bridget, she can’t help but feel that the risks might far outweigh the benefits of knowing where she comes from and why her birth mother chose to walk away.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Gilmore brings special yet subtle artistry to her interwoven story, weaving motifs and even seemingly extraneous people through the different iterations to keep each version connected with the others.”—BCCB (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Gilmore’s gritty multigenerational tale not only seeks to ask adoption’s toughest questions, but dares to offer no easy answers: Not to be missed.”—Kirkus (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Gilmore’s writing is emotionally raw yet beautiful, touching upon some traditional Y.A. themes…with an almost mystical feel.”—New York Times Book Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat happens when the past you can’t remember defines the future you can’t imagine?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Dual Timeline Narrative:\u003c\/b\u003e Told in two voices: Bridget, a pregnant teen in 2000 facing an impossible choice, and Ivy, her daughter in 2017, searching for the mother she never knew.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn Emotional Adoption Story:\u003c\/b\u003e Explores the raw, complex feelings of both a birth mother and an adopted child with nuance and unflinching honesty.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLGBTQ+ Representation:\u003c\/b\u003e Features a heartfelt portrayal of a loving, supportive family with two moms at its center.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA \"What If\" Story:\u003c\/b\u003e Woven with powerful vignettes of the alternate lives both girls might have led, exploring the profound impact of a single decision.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“This emotional, visceral novel haunted me in the best ways. Jennifer Gilmore has written something of real depth, which will leave readers thinking for a long time about the lives that other people lead, as well as the ones they might have led. If Only is gripping and shiveringly beautiful; a true achievement.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMeg Wolitzer, bestselling author of The Interestings and Belzhar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gilmore’s gritty multigenerational tale not only seeks to ask adoption’s toughest questions, but dares to offer no easy answers: Not to be missed.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gilmore brings special yet subtle artistry to her interwoven story, weaving motifs and even seemingly extraneous people through the different iterations to keep each version connected with the others.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Distinctly poetic in quality, Gilmore’s prose and dialogue flows easily and naturally.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Ideas regarding the butterfly effect (“My life exists because of a swish of that butterfly’s wing,” Ivy speculates. “I could be anywhere. I could be anyone. Am I the best me possible?”) will likely inspire readers to stretch their imaginations.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An emotional, sensitively wrought novel about identity, chance and fate.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePeople Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Raw stories about adoption may be this lauded author’s specialty ... If Only is a work of heart, labored over and full of finesse. Take time to process it.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“If Only\u003c\/em\u003e enchants through its blend of mystic grandeur, and the messy anguish and joy of human connections, those inborn and those chosen.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBrooklyn Rail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The story of IF ONLY was touching in a way I’ve never read before….[Gilmore] really knows what she is doing. The book was captivating, especially for its realism and complex pull.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTeen Reads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gilmore’s writing is emotionally raw yet beautiful, touching upon some traditional Y.A. themes… with an almost mystical feel.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888300552421,"sku":"NP9780062393630","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062393630.jpg?v=1730228766","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/if-only-isbn-9780062393630","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}