The Minus-One Club

CW: death of sibling/parent, suicidal behavior

3.5 stars. Heavy, emotional YA novel about a teen dealing with the immediate aftermath of the death of his older sister in a drunk driving incident. As soon as Kermit returns to school, he is invited to a secret club whose members have all lost a significant other. He falls in love with Matt, whose mom died from pancreatic cancer. Their relationship is fraught with challenges due to Kermit's strict Baptist upbringing that hinders his coming out, Matt's growing dependence on alcohol, and the Minus One Club's well-intentioned but misguided rule that members are not allowed to talk about their losses.

The short chapters make for a quick read but I wish the author had devoted more pages to flesh out the characters of the other four club members. The complex manifestations of grief and its impact on Kermit's relationships with family and friends is heartbreakingly and incisively portrayed. The ending feels unrealistically upbeat Kermit and Matt are still together despite Matt's obvious need to focus on his own mental health and sobriety, although I give Magoon credit that not all of Kermit's issues are neatly resolved.For instance, he still hasn't come out to his deeply religious parents. This book could easily be be triggering for some readers, and I'm glad there is a helpful list of mental health/suicide prevention resources in the afterword.