The Words We Keep

Starred review from February 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Three months ago, Lily, hinted at as white, found her older sister Alice on the bathroom floor having hurt herself. Since then, Lily has been trying to keep things together for her family and herself. However, she is thrown for a loop when Alice comes home from treatment earlier than expected. Then there's Micah, Lily's partner for a school poetry and art assignment and Alice's friend from treatment. Micah, who is Latino, is determined to get Lily to process what Alice has gone through and her experience. Lily also has her own secrets, and the project she and Micah embark on may help bring them to light. Told entirely from Lily's perspective, this story explores not only one's own mental health but also the impact it has on those around them. Stewart authentically presents the subject matter and isn't afraid to address the negative, including self-harm and the stigma facing those with mental illness. This book's message-that people with mental illnesses are still human and trying to deal with their own problems of friends, family, and romance-is thoughtfully handled. Lily and Micah use poetry and art to express and explore their mental health, and Stewart presents it in a superb manner that allows readers to process and explore their thoughts and feelings. Certain aspects may be triggering for some, but those who can handle the subject matter are likely to find value in it. VERDICT An excellent choice for library collections and book discussions.-Amanda Borgia

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 15, 2022
Following the discovery of her older sister, Alice, self-harming on the bathroom floor, Lily grapples with her own increasingly perilous mental health. Burdened with an ultrarigid academic schedule and a perfectionist's mindset, Lily Larkin, a 16-year-old implied White girl, daily fends off pervasive anxiety and intrusive thoughts. For Lily, all her extra hard work means survival: "I can stop my family--and myself--from unraveling." When she learns that Alice (diagnosed with bipolar disorder) will be returning home after two months of treatment, Lily braces herself for the reappearance of a sister she might not recognize. At school, she reluctantly garners the attention of Micah Mendez, a Mexican American boy hounded by depression and a troubled past. Micah, it seems, knows all about Lily thanks to his time at the same treatment center as Alice. Paired for a school art project, Lily and Micah grow closer, drawing on the power of words to express their truths to each other--and even their peers--in anonymous art installations. Lily, meanwhile, finds it hard to reestablish a relationship with Alice even as false starts send the sisters spiraling into potential calamity. A sprawling, engrossing read, Stewart's latest succeeds in mapping out the toll of anxiety disorder with scrupulous, cleareyed detail. It's mostly a hard, messy path for Lily, laden with moments of self-violence and acute tension. Above all, however, there's an overpowering sense of hope underlined by an achingly sincere message: Speak up and get help if needed. Indispensably candid. (author's note, resources) (Fiction. 12-18)

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