Shannon Takaoka Books

Set in 1987, the narrative follows sixteen-year-old Gracie Byrne, who struggles with shyness, her parents' divorce, and her grandmother's declining health. Discovering a blank journal, she begins to craft an idealized version of herself, only to find her writings manifesting in reality. As her newfound power blurs the lines between imagination and truth, Gracie navigates friendships, family dynamics, and a budding romance with her neighbor, Tom. This heartwarming tale explores themes of self-discovery and the complexities of growing up.

"Seventeen-year-old Chloe had a plan: work hard, get good grades, and attend a top-tier college. But after she collapses during cross-country practice and is told that she needs a new heart, all her careful preparations are laid to waste. Eight months after her transplant, everything is different. Stuck in summer school with the underachievers, all she wants to do now is grab her surfboard and hit the waves, which is strange, because she wasn't interested in surfing before her transplant. (It doesn't hurt that her instructor, Kai, is seriously good-looking.) And that's not all that's strange. There's also the vivid recurring nightmare about crashing a motorcycle in a tunnel and memories of people and places she doesn't recognize. Is there something wrong with her head now, too, or is there another explanation for what she's experiencing? As she searches for answers, and as her attraction to Kai intensifies, what she learns will lead her to question everything she thought she knew, about life, death, love, identity, and the true nature of reality"--Publisher's description