My Heart and Other Black Holes

Three years ago, Aysel’s father committed a horrific crime, and Aysel is still feeling the after affects: her family doesn’t seem to want anything to do with her, while her classmates talk about her behind her back. Aysel is depressed, and lately she’s been thinking that the only way out is to die. But she’s not sure she can do it alone, so when she comes across the idea of getting a Suicide Partner from a website, the solution seems obvious. And then she meets Roman, a boy nearby who is looking for a partner. But as the two begin to make more definite plans, Aysel starts having second thoughts. Maybe she’s not ready to die just yet. But can she convince Roman to want to live too?

Jasmine Warga’s debut novel My Heart & Other Black Holes is, simply put, one of the most spectacular stories I have read in a long time. Aysel and Roman are both very broken individuals, and watching them struggle together is both painful and beautiful. Discussing such severe depression can be taboo in our society, but Warga tackles the topic with a story that is real and with characters that readers can identify with on some level. You’ll have a hard time putting this one down.