If Tomorrow Doesn't Come: The heartbreaking sapphic YA romance

Product Information

They Both Die at the End meets All That's Left in the World - a heartbreaking and gripping first love story about courage, hope and holding onto love. Perfect for anyone looking for a big emotional romance of a read. This was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. Avery has suffered from lifelong depression and is also trying to come to terms with being gay. Her family is a religious Catholic family and she’s grown up hearing that people like her will be going to hell unless they change their ways. Tell us what year you read or heard about the book. A range of years is fine. You can mention when you think the book was published.

In honor of Avery’s nine new days–a gift and a curse all at once–I’ve broken my playlist into nine pieces to explore the themes, lyrics, and melodies that made this story what it is. I must admit that after eleven years of working on it, I’m more than a little emotional this playlist has reached its final form. I know this is terribly self-indulgent, but thank you for letting me share it with you. Jen, the nuanced, sensitive exploration of Avery’s queerness is an important part of this book, depicting her experiences around belonging in community as well as her own self-acceptance. This speaks deeply to what young people are dealing with now, in exceptionally fraught political and societal times.It’s kind of like a homecoming! After an isolating few years, I just really wanted to use it as an excuse to see a lot of people. I’ll be doing an event here in Chicago, where I live, on May 10 th at Women & Children First with my dear friend Jas Hammonds, the author of We Deserve Monuments . In New Hampshire, I’ll be in conversation with more friends, Kate Fussner ( The Song of Us ) and Sacha Lamb ( When the Angels Left the Old Country ). I’m also having a private party in New York just because a lot of my close friends live there, and because I wanted to say thank you to my terrific publishing team. I am so grateful for all the people who have supported me in this decade-long dream. If Tomorrow Doesn't Come is a brilliant story of hope, healing, and resilience from a thoughtful and fearless new voice in YA." ―Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of Little & Lion Jen St. Jude's end of the world story makes for one hell of a debut novel. It's lush, searching, and ultimately full of hope. I loved it." ―Emily M. Danforth, national bestselling and award-winning author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post We Are Okay meets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world—and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold. GENRE and PLOT DETAILS are mandatory in the header/ topic title. Do NOT create vague topic headers like "Romance" or "YA Fantasy" or "Looking for this book." Threads with vague headers will be CLOSED.

I found the ambiguous ending fitting. It was sweet and hopeful and I love St. Jude for leaving it to me to determine what happens. Avery loves Cass without needing to own her, and most of the time without wanting anything from her besides her friendship. She studies her when they’re together, and falls in love with every detail. Love can’t save Avery, or Cass, or the world. But it does make her feel terribly alive.

Select a format:

Avery isn’t sure if she’s gay, just that she loves Cass. We get to know Avery through her questioning, to her wavering belief in her sexuality; from worried about being damned because of her Catholic upbringing, to fully embracing who she is. It’s a complex dance and Jen St. Jude does a wonderful job of showing us all the facets of what Avery goes through as she comes out. Avery's complicated yet fierce relationship with Cass and the fraught energy between Avery and her parents are rendered in clear and emotive detail, yet most notable is St. Jude's heart-achingly precise interpretation of one teenager's experience with depression and suicidal ideation. Hope for a bright future is always evident in this sometimes dark, thought-provoking debut." ― Publishers Weekly (starred review) I’m also just someone who has always been acutely aware of mortality. Maybe because I lost some people young, maybe because I was raised Catholic, maybe just because it’s who I am. I think about death constantly! Sounds morbid, I know, but I’ve always felt like it’s the only way to live an intentional life.