Verdi, Jessica. What You Left Behind. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Fire, 2015. 978-1-49-2614-401. 368 p. $16.99. Gr. 8 to 12.

Ryden Brooks has it all. He is the star goalie for the varsity soccer team and is looking at a free ride to UCLA. He is one of the most popular boys in school, and he has his pick of girlfriends, but his world is turned upside down when he meets (again) and falls in love with smart but nerdy Meg Reynolds. But Meg has secrets. She has terminal cancer, AND she is pregnant with Ryden’s baby! Ryden’s plans crumble as he takes on the role of single father to baby Hope.

This is a sharp and poignant read. Students who fell in love with The Fault in Our Stars and A Walk to Remember will find similar themes and relationships in What You Left Behind.

Realistic Fiction   Corey Hall, Elizabethtown HS/MS