The Book of Joshua by Jennifer Anne Moses

Originally published in School Library Journal, October 2018.

Gr. 9 & up: Josh, a typical Western High senior living in New Jersey, wakes up in a psych ward to a very atypical future, in which he is missing an eye as well as his girlfriend Sophie. Previously a cross-country star and popular kid, he must now retake his senior year as an overweight schizophrenic. Unable to get any truthful information from his hovering mother or therapist about the incident which resulted in his eye loss, he feels lost and trapped. To make matters worse, his younger brother Nate has become a star runner and everything that Josh used to be prior to the incident. He is forced to attend group meetings with other mental health patients when he would rather be looking for Sophie. Only when Josh starts to spend time with new girl and fellow outcast, Elizabeth Rinaldi, will he finally begin to make progress toward the truth. Readers will empathize with Josh and at the end, finally uncover the surprising truth regarding the missing eye and Sophie. VERDICT: While it provides an honest, unique view of mental health, this realistic fiction novel is light on depth and brief in plot compared to others in the genre, and therefore recommended for strictly additional purchase.