A Sense of the Infinite

by Hilary T. Smith

Overview

It's senior year of high school, and Annabeth is ready—ready for everything she and her best friend, Noe, have been planning and dreaming. But there are some things Annabeth isn't prepared for, like the constant presence of Noe's new boyfriend. Like how her relationship with her mom is wearing and fraying. And like the way the secret she's been keeping hidden deep inside her for years has started clawing at her insides, making it harder to eat or even breathe.

But most especially, she isn't prepared to lose Noe.

For years, Noe has anchored Annabeth and set their joint path. Now Noe is drifting in another direction, making new plans and dreams that don't involve Annabeth. Without Noe's constant companionship, Annabeth's world begins to crumble. But as a chain of events pulls Annabeth further and further away from Noe, she finds herself closer and closer to discovering who she's really meant to be—with her best friend or without.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062184733
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/17/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	405
File size:	972 KB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Hilary T. Smith lives in Portland, Oregon, where she studies North Indian classical music and works on native plant restoration. She is the author of Wild Awake.

Editorial Reviews

03/16/2015
Smith (Wild Awake) explores the complexity of friendships and feelings of self-worth in a contemporary coming-of-age novel. The story, told from the point of view of high-school senior Annabeth, shows how her relationship with her best friend Noe gradually dissolves after Noe gets a boyfriend and decides to go to a different college than the one she and Annabeth had planned to attend together. Now Annabeth is left to determine who she is and what she wants after graduation, not easy when she has spent much of her life following Noe’s lead. But perhaps most challenging to Annabeth is her closely guarded secret about the father she’s never met. As Annabeth’s reliance on Noe diminishes, she gingerly opens herself up to new risks, new possibilities, and new acquaintances. Annabeth’s psychological journey is painful but insightful as she revisits significant moments from her childhood and sharpens her focus on the path before her. A convincing portrayal of an introspective teen emerging stronger and more confident as she becomes more independent. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Smith’s prose is knock-down gorgeous. A fearless writer ably tackles a difficult story.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Smith’s thoughtful storytelling...instantly feels like a classic.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)

“With brief, vignette-like chapters and arrestingly vivid language, Smith draws readers deeply into Annabeth’s life during a pivotal year…. An intimate, understated, and compelling coming-of-age story.” — Horn Book Magazine

“A convincing portrayal of an introspective teen emerging stronger and more confident as she becomes more independent.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Smith’s thoughtful storytelling...instantly feels like a classic.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)

With brief, vignette-like chapters and arrestingly vivid language, Smith draws readers deeply into Annabeth’s life during a pivotal year…. An intimate, understated, and compelling coming-of-age story.

Horn Book Magazine

04/01/2015
Gr 10 Up—All that is standing in between Annabeth and the amazing future she and her best friend Noe have been dreaming about is their senior year of high school. With Noe leading the way, Annabeth is sure nothing can go wrong. However, senior year brings unexpected changes, like Noe's new boyfriend always being in the picture, secrets Annabeth wants to keep hidden forever surfacing, and tensions between Annabeth and her mother getting worse, all of which makes Annabeth sure she needs Noe more than ever to stay grounded. However, when her faithful friend finally breaks free to focus more on her own life, Annabeth realizes things do not always go as planned. The world Smith creates is obsessive, sexually charged, and full of dark decisions. Unfortunately, Smith gives serious subjects like rape and eating disorders flat treatment. Secondary characters remain underdeveloped. The slow beginning ramps up as the author reveals more about Annabeth's background. VERDICT An additional purchase for collections where dark, realistic fiction is popular.—DeHanza Kwong, Mililani Public Library, HI

School Library Journal

2015-02-03
Senior year changes everything. Ever since discovering that her always-absent father actually raped her mother, and her subsequent birth destroyed her mother's hopes of a college degree, Annabeth has felt like a monster. Fortunately, throughout high school, she's held the position of Noe's best friend. They plan matching tattoos and matching futures. Noe also anchors her new boyfriend, Steven, an elegant and quirky actor with a suicidal past. Annabeth and Steven strike a limited but playful friendship, and all goes well until Noe begins to change. A remarkably casual sexual encounter leads to an abortion for Annabeth while visiting her cousin in college. Afterward, while her relationship with her mother continues to be strained ("[we] loved each other with eyes averted, like birds circling a pile of grain but never coming close enough to peck"), Annabeth reluctantly begins to drop agreed-upon pretenses in favor of the truth. Admitting to Noe's costs Annabeth their friendship; admitting to her own is harder. Steven teeters dangerously on the edge of a different truth. Some of the issues, particularly regarding Annabeth's father, feel forced, but the mess and loose ends of this story reflect human reality. Annabeth emerges as a complicated character doing her best. Smith's prose is knock-down gorgeous. A fearless writer ably tackles a difficult story. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews