Is it asking too much to live a typical twelfth grade existence? Kelsey Kendler just wants to earn some money for university, hang out with friends, maybe even snag a boyfriend. But her pill-popping mom and distant dad scare off anybody she tries to bring home, making those last two things feel impossible.

Her part-time ice cream shop job's a slog, but at least there, she can escape her parents' constant fighting...until the COVID-19 pandemic forces a lockdown and she's stuck at home with them 24/7.

As the lockdown takes its toll on Kelsey's mental health, she starts to see the appeal of her mom's pills. She hates what they do to her mom, but numbing herself to the world seems like a pretty good idea right about now. Horrified to find herself following in her mom's footsteps, she can only hope she'll eventually figure out some other way to cope. (From DCB)

Bev Katz Rosenbaum is Toronto based author. Her previous work includes the I Was a Teenage Popsicle series of books for young readers.