Overview

They Both Die at the End meets You’ve Reached Sam, in this “superb…thought-provoking” (Booklist, starred review) speculative young adult novel from New York Times bestselling author Robbie Couch that explores all the different ways love can live on after tragedy. It’s been one year since eighteen-year-old River Lang’s best friend died in a car accident. And every day since, he’s had to pass by the depressing billboard that appeared as a result: a texting and driving PSA that reduces Dylan to a cautionary tale. Dylan was so much more than a statistic, though, and River hates that everyone in town seems to have forgotten. When he’s caught improving (a.k.a. vandalizing) Dylan’s billboard, River is blackmailed into joining the Affinity Trials—a research study that’s observing teens who are “struggling socially.” As soon as he arrives though, River is thrown together with the last person he wants to spend an entire week with: his ex-best friend and Dylan’s former girlfriend, Mavis, who’s the only one who knows the truth about the night Dylan died. During the Trials, River befriends a charming quarterback named Nash, and it doesn’t take long for romantic feelings to start bubbling to the surface. But bizarre developments within the Trials make him wonder what the researchers are actually studying as they monitor his every move. And when suspicions lead him to a bombshell discovery, River will have to decide just how far he’s willing to go for another chance at first love.

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9781665935302

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Reviews

"* ""Couch expertly ratchets up suspense. A superb, thought-provoking effort that is sure to delight readers who enjoy original, beautifully imagined efforts."" -- Booklist, starred review ""Readers who think they know what’s coming will be surprised....An emotionally intense exploration of grief combined with creative speculation about the nature of friendship."" -- Kirkus Reviews * 04/01/24 * ""Distinct characters with strong presences, steady pacing, and a meaty mystery combine to deliver a rewarding experience."" -- Publishers Weekly * 2/12/2024 * ""Gripping, unique, and heartfelt, Another First Chance is a gorgeous exploration of friendship and grief. Both the love story and mystery made my heart race; Robbie Couch is a master of emotion."" -- Jen St. Jude, author of <i >If Tomorrow Doesn't Come  </i> ""Equal parts suspenseful and sincere, Robbie Couch had me on the edge of my seat one minute and clutching my heart the next! A completely captivating exploration of grief and the lengths we'll go to so we can move on."" -- Jason June, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author “Another First Chance is a compelling and heartfelt tale of friendship, grief, and love in all its forms. The cleverly crafted plot is full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the final, revelatory page. A truly unique story about the ineffable mark people leave on us when they’re gone.” -- Tobias Madden, author of <I>Wrong Answers Only </I>"

"""Gripping, unique, and heartfelt, Another First Chance is a gorgeous exploration of friendship and grief. Both the love story and mystery made my heart race; Robbie Couch is a master of emotion."" -- Jen St. Jude, author of <i >If Tomorrow Doesn't Come  </i> ""Equal parts suspenseful and sincere, Robbie Couch had me on the edge of my seat one minute and clutching my heart the next! A completely captivating exploration of grief and the lengths we'll go to so we can move on."" -- —Jason June, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author “Another First Chance is a compelling and heartfelt tale of friendship, grief, and love in all its forms. The cleverly crafted plot is full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the final, revelatory page. A truly unique story about the ineffable mark people leave on us when they’re gone.” -- Tobias Madden, author of <I>Wrong Answers Only </I>"

"River Lang spends his senior year mourning his best friend Dylan, who died tragically in a texting-and-driving accident that their small Michigan town commemorates—or exploits—with an obnoxious billboard. River vandalizes the billboard, then is blackmailed into joining an elaborate friendship-based science experiment to keep that fact a secret. The “Affinity Trials” take place in River’s high school under the eye of graduate student Mentors and somehow also include Mavis, his former best friend and Dylan’s ex-girlfriend, along with an assortment of other classmates. Everything about the Trials is ostensibly shady and unethical, from the unexplained disks participants must wear on their heads to the forced mystery surrounding what is even being tested, which contributes a suspenseful tone to an otherwise grounded story of complex grief. That is, until participants start having visions and River is paired up with non-participant Nash under questionable circumstances. Dylan’s narration leading up to his death is interspersed throughout the story and provides additional context to River, Mavis, and Dylan’s close-knit friend group developing into a queer love triangle by the time of his accident. The plot contrivances here are glaring, however, and the predictable reveal of the trials’ nefarious manipulations shortchange a deeper exploration of the emotional relevance of emerging virtual technologies, a premise that is teased but feels sloppily executed in this quiet sci-fi drama.  WJ -- BCCB * 5/1/24 * * ""Couch expertly ratchets up suspense. A superb, thought-provoking effort that is sure to delight readers who enjoy original, beautifully imagined efforts."" -- Booklist, starred review ""Readers who think they know what’s coming will be surprised....An emotionally intense exploration of grief combined with creative speculation about the nature of friendship."" -- Kirkus Reviews * 04/01/24 * ""Distinct characters with strong presences, steady pacing, and a meaty mystery combine to deliver a rewarding experience."" -- Publishers Weekly * 2/12/2024 * ""Gripping, unique, and heartfelt, Another First Chance is a gorgeous exploration of friendship and grief. Both the love story and mystery made my heart race; Robbie Couch is a master of emotion."" -- Jen St. Jude, author of <i >If Tomorrow Doesn't Come  </i> ""Equal parts suspenseful and sincere, Robbie Couch had me on the edge of my seat one minute and clutching my heart the next! A completely captivating exploration of grief and the lengths we'll go to so we can move on."" -- Jason June, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author “Another First Chance is a compelling and heartfelt tale of friendship, grief, and love in all its forms. The cleverly crafted plot is full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the final, revelatory page. A truly unique story about the ineffable mark people leave on us when they’re gone.” -- Tobias Madden, author of <I>Wrong Answers Only </I>"

"""Readers who think they know what’s coming will be surprised....An emotionally intense exploration of grief combined with creative speculation about the nature of friendship."" -- Kirkus Reviews * 04/01/24 * ""Distinct characters with strong presences, steady pacing, and a meaty mystery combine to deliver a rewarding experience."" -- Publishers Weekly * 2/12/2024 * ""Gripping, unique, and heartfelt, Another First Chance is a gorgeous exploration of friendship and grief. Both the love story and mystery made my heart race; Robbie Couch is a master of emotion."" -- Jen St. Jude, author of <i >If Tomorrow Doesn't Come  </i> ""Equal parts suspenseful and sincere, Robbie Couch had me on the edge of my seat one minute and clutching my heart the next! A completely captivating exploration of grief and the lengths we'll go to so we can move on."" -- Jason June, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author “Another First Chance is a compelling and heartfelt tale of friendship, grief, and love in all its forms. The cleverly crafted plot is full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the final, revelatory page. A truly unique story about the ineffable mark people leave on us when they’re gone.” -- Tobias Madden, author of <I>Wrong Answers Only </I>"

Author Information

Robbie Couch writes young adult fiction. If I See You Again Tomorrow, his New York Times bestselling third novel, has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. Robbie’s debut, The Sky Blues, was a Junior Library Guild selection. Robbie is originally from small-town Michigan and lives in Los Angeles. 

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