Lisabeth Posthuma
What happens if Joel's first true friend finds out
What Was Wrong With Him?
Seventeen-year-old Joel Teague has a new prescription from his therapist—a part-time job—the first step toward the elusive Normal life he’s been so desperate to live ever since The Bad Thing happened. Lucky for Joel, ROYO Video is hiring. It’s the perfect fresh start—Joel even gets a new name. Dubbed “Solo” after his favorite Star Wars character, Joel works his way up the not-so-corporate ladder without anyone suspecting What Was Wrong With Him. That is, until he befriends Nicole “Baby” Palmer, a smart-mouthed coworker with a chip on her shoulder about . . . well, everything, and the two quickly develop the kind of friendship movie montages are made of. However, when Joel’s past inevitably catches up with him, he’s forced to choose between preserving his new blank slate persona and coming clean—and either way, he risks losing the first real friend he’s ever had. Set in a pop-culture-rich 1990s, this remarkable story tackles challenging and timely themes with huge doses of wit, power, and heart.
Debut novel!
"I cried. Baby and Solo gets mental health struggles right–the poetry and pain of striving to be Normal while knowing full-well that no such thing exists."
—Maggie Thrash, Los Angeles Times Book Prize nominated author of Honor Girl
Praise for Baby & Solo!
"Baby & Solo warmed my heart like an oversized flannel, made me laugh and cry (often in the same sentence), and kept me guessing to the very end. Set in a 90s video shop, the book is steeped in nostalgia and pop culture references, while also examining issues of gender identity, sexuality, mental health, love, lust, and the lost art of kindly rewinding. I am obsessed with this book. I’m guessing you will be too." -David Arnold, New York Times best-selling author of Mosquitoland
Available now from Candlewick Press
Random facts about Lisabeth
Lisabeth Posthuma was a teacher, photographer,
and (most importantly) video rental clerk before becoming a writer. She holds one of those degrees from a really expensive private liberal arts college that no one can afford (including her). She grew up obsessed with teen soaps (which her therapist says explains a lot) and likes to brag about that one time she attended a cast party for The OC.
She resides in Michigan where winters are too long.
