Five of Us Against the World. A heartfelt, bittersweet YA coming-of-age novel about found family, a friend group's last summer, first love, a brother worth fighting for, buried secrets, and the courage to let people go

They swore it would always be the five of them. The summer they built the raft, one of them was already leaving. Maya has a plan, and the plan does not include falling apart. Build the raft. Win the Sandpiper Derby. Use the prize money for the surgery her little brother Noah needs while the hospital bills pile up on the kitchen counter like snow. She has Finn, who chases imaginary crabs in the dark. She has Sam, who measures every lashing twice, still chasing the ghost of his perfect older sister. She has Leo, who holds the rope and keeps everyone laughing. The five of them against the world.
That was the pact. Then Maya climbs the pier stairs one night and overhears Leo on the phone, his voice careful, like he's holding something precious he doesn't want to break. "I still can't believe it. Yeah, I'll send the confirmation tomorrow." "Who was that?" she asks. "Pacific Conservatory, " he finally says. "They offered me a full ride." A full ride. Across the country. He'd known for a week. "You told me you weren't applying anywhere.
You said you wanted to stay close." "When were you going to tell me that you're leaving?" "I don't know, okay?" The raft is still half-finished. The tide is still rising. And the thing Maya was most afraid of, the five of them coming apart, has already begun. There is a saboteur's diary. There is a mole inside the group. There is a race that will change everything, and a goodbye none of them are ready for. As one impossible summer races toward its finish line, Maya learns that holding people together isn't the same as holding them back, and that some friendships are strong enough to survive even the truth. Five of Us Against the World is a heartfelt, bittersweet YA coming-of-age novel about found family, a friend group's last summer, first love, a brother worth fighting for, buried secrets, and the courage to let people go. Perfect for readers who love summer friendship stories, found-family YA, bittersweet goodbyes, and the emotional resonance of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen.
A standalone coming-of-age novel.