Prosper by Lindsay Schuster

Lindsay Schuster delivers a stirring coming-of-age novel with Prosper, the first in an ongoing series of standout YA writing.

Jenny, Stephanie, Amy and Kaila must navigate both the trials and trifles of high school, while also managing their own troubled lives, and more unexpected responsibilities than any 16-year-olds should bear. Highlighting the strength of sisterhood, overlapping emotional journeys and the critical importance of support systems in our lives, this is a novel not only about overcoming, but about becoming.

The variation in points of view provides a comprehensive perspective for readers, and intimate access to the experiences of each carefully penned protagonist. These intertwined stories are powerful and visceral, tapping into often taboo subjects that affect millions of young people. The delicate but brutally honest handling of topics like addiction, abuse of all kinds, death, grief, mental illness, depression, family and personal responsibility makes this book relatable and essential.

With four distinct personalities, this impressive quartet of best friends is believable and engaging, and keeps the pace of the story high. From the casual colloquial language of high school to the more painful internal dialogues, the writing is authentic, borne from obvious personal experience and a younger author’s voice.

Some of the narrative sections are a bit too explicit, heavy-handedly delivering exposition about the characters’ individual crises, and there is a lot of idiomatic language and familiar descriptions, but despite those critiques, this drama is continually compelling, thought-provoking, and heart-wrenching, with a wealth of valuable lessons for readers of any age.