Anger is Only a Shadow: From the Carnegie-winning author of THE POET X

By Author / Illustrator

Elizabeth Acevedo

Genre

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Hot Key Books

ISBN

9781471409448

Format

Paperback

Published

15-09-2026

Synopsis

How am I spun from such good people? When did I unravel? The stunning new novel from the Carnegie Medal winning author of THE POET X, full of poetry, heart and humour.

17-year-old Lil is anything but small. She's rebellious, she's loyal; she's figuring out what kind of good person she wants to be, or if she wants to be a good person at all. But more than anything? Lil wants to be free. Because Lil is on probation, and she's trying really hard to be New Lil - follow the rules, keep her head down, take a breath and smile till her court hearing in three weeks' time.

But Old Lil keeps rearing her head - the one that wants to go, run, find a way to open the pot lid to let the angry steam out. And when Aldwin's silences turn to something more alarming - to talk of nightmares, of hearing voices - Lil knows that she is the only one who can help him.

But he's hundreds of miles away and a stark truth is staring Lil directly in the face: how can she get to him without putting her future freedom on the line? Does doing the right thing mean losing everything?

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