Four Three Two One

by Courtney Stevens

Overview

“This is not a book about a tragedy. This is a book about survivors, and hope, and belief. I wish this book wasn’t necessary, but it is. Read it. And then pass it on.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

“A whip-smart and deeply felt story about reclaiming life from the rubble of guilt and trauma, Four, Three, Two, One glows brilliantly with heart, humanity, and hope.” —Brendan Kiely, New York Times bestselling coauthor of All American Boys and author of Tradition

Golden “Go” Jennings wasn’t supposed to be on Bus 21 the day it blew up in New York City. Neither was her boyfriend, Chandler. But they were. And so was Rudy, a cute stranger Go shared a connection with the night before. And Caroline, a girl whose silence ended up costing nineteen people their lives.

Though it’s been a year since the bombing, Go isn’t any closer to getting over what happened. With Chan completely closed off to even talking about it, Go makes an impulsive decision: round up the rest of the survivors and head to New York City. There they will board an art installation made of the charred remnants of Bus 21 and hopefully reach some sort of resolution.

But things are never easy when it comes to rehashing the past. Uniting the four stirs up conflicting feelings of anger and forgiveness, and shows them that, although they all survived, they may still need saving.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062398543
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/13/2018
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.60(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Courtney “Court” Stevens grew up among rivers, cornfields, churches, and gossip in the small-town South. She is a former adjunct professor, youth minister, and Olympic torch bearer. She has a pet whale named Herman, a band saw named Rex, and several books with her name on the spine: Faking Normal, The Lies About Truth, Golden Kite Honor Book and Kirkus Best Book of the Year Dress Codes for Small Towns, and Four Three Two One. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. You can visit her online at www.courtneycstevens.com.

Editorial Reviews

A whip-smart and deeply felt story about reclaiming life from the rubble of guilt and trauma, Four Three Two One glows brilliantly with heart, humanity, and hope.” — Brendan Kiely, New York Times bestselling author of All American Boys and Tradition

“This is not a book about a tragedy. This is a book about survivors, and hope, and belief. I wish this book wasn’t necessary, but it is. Read it. And then pass it on.” — Kathleen Glasgow New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

The terrifyingly realistic plot and compelling characters will immediately hook readers’ attention. An original and captivating coming-of-age tale of trauma and resilience. — Kirkus Reviews

“The unhurried development of characters and events make for a satisfying crescendo. [Stevens] writes with depth and emotion. A great choice for most YA shelves.” — School Library Journal

“Stevens has written a compelling examination of survivor’s guilt and the stories people construct around senseless tragedy to try to make sense of it, including how damaging those created narratives can be. A gripping story that’s both entertaing and deeply moving.” — ALA Booklist

“The longer-term effects of tragedy are compellingly limned here. The emotional trajectory is thoughtfully and sympathetically depicted, reminding readers that survival is a long-term process.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

The longer-term effects of tragedy are compellingly limned here. The emotional trajectory is thoughtfully and sympathetically depicted, reminding readers that survival is a long-term process.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

This is not a book about a tragedy. This is a book about survivors, and hope, and belief. I wish this book wasn’t necessary, but it is. Read it. And then pass it on.

Kathleen Glasgow New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

A whip-smart and deeply felt story about reclaiming life from the rubble of guilt and trauma, Four Three Two One glows brilliantly with heart, humanity, and hope.

Brendan Kiely

Stevens has written a compelling examination of survivor’s guilt and the stories people construct around senseless tragedy to try to make sense of it, including how damaging those created narratives can be. A gripping story that’s both entertaing and deeply moving.

ALA Booklist

The longer-term effects of tragedy are compellingly limned here. The emotional trajectory is thoughtfully and sympathetically depicted, reminding readers that survival is a long-term process.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

10/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—The author's latest is an earnest exploration of the emotional debris that trauma leaves in its wake. A year after surviving a deadly bus bombing, Golden "Go" Jennings makes the impulsive decision to rally her three fellow survivors and, together, board an artistic installation of Bus 21, reassembled from the rubble left behind. Though the teens lived through the unimaginable, moving past the guilt and fear they carry is not easy. As they make their way toward New York City to revisit the site of the explosion, they must come face to face with their own truths and secrets about that fateful day. Although the pace of the novel builds slowly, the unhurried development of characters and events makes for a satisfying crescendo. The author writes with depth and emotion, and the characters she creates are relatable, even for readers who have not experienced a trauma as public or as far-reaching as the explosion that sets this particular story into motion. In fact, there are many details to which some teens may not directly relate: Go's childhood on a commune in Kentucky, for example, or the expectations Go's family has that she begin to settle down with her boyfriend at such a young age. Yet within the story, these details feel natural and lend a unique edge to the novel. VERDICT A great choice for most YA shelves.—Lauren Hathaway, University of British Columbia

School Library Journal

2018-08-20

Four teenagers whose sense of normalcy shattered when they became the only survivors of a bus bombing in New York City are invited to an artist's re-creation of the damaged vehicle.

Golden and Chandler were together on the bus when it exploded. Since the event, a distance has grown between them that is only exacerbated by the invitation. Chan is stoic and craves stability, which he finds in their communal Kentucky home known as the Hive. Golden finds the Hive—and their relationship—stifling. Her thoughts and feelings keep drifting toward Rudy, another survivor who briefly caught her fancy that fateful day before the explosion. When Chandler refuses to attend the art opening, Golden and her uber-confident friend Becky hit the road, with the compass pointing toward Rudy in Florida. There, they also collect Caroline—who is Rudy's cousin, the final survivor, and the girlfriend of the bomber. Caroline cannot stop heaping punishment on herself. What follows is a messy road trip where hearts break, secrets are revealed, burdens are dropped, and each character stumbles closer toward forgiveness. The terrifyingly realistic plot and compelling characters (seemingly all white but diverse in physical abilities—Rudy uses a wheelchair—and sexuality—two girls are in a same-sex relationship) will immediately hook readers' attention even as the dialogue at times meanders into magniloquence.

An original and captivating coming-of-age tale of trauma and resilience. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

After a promising beginning, narrators Bailey Carr and Erin Spencer skillfully keep this novel on course as it devolves into too many hot-button issues and unrealistic characters and too much unbelievable behavior. Kentuckians Golden “Go” Jennings and her boyfriend, Chandler, travel to New York City to photograph Ellis Island for her grandmother when a bomb explodes on their bus. Carr’s diverse tones describe Go’s and Chandler’s simple lives at their commune, their experience of the vibrant city, and the guilt of being two of only four survivors of the bombing. Her best creation is Go’s grandma, who is tough but a wellspring of wisdom. Spencer deftly portrays the deeply troubled and evolving Caroline, the bomber’s girlfriend. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2019 - AudioFile

After a promising beginning, narrators Bailey Carr and Erin Spencer skillfully keep this novel on course as it devolves into too many hot-button issues and unrealistic characters and too much unbelievable behavior. Kentuckians Golden “Go” Jennings and her boyfriend, Chandler, travel to New York City to photograph Ellis Island for her grandmother when a bomb explodes on their bus. Carr’s diverse tones describe Go’s and Chandler’s simple lives at their commune, their experience of the vibrant city, and the guilt of being two of only four survivors of the bombing. Her best creation is Go’s grandma, who is tough but a wellspring of wisdom. Spencer deftly portrays the deeply troubled and evolving Caroline, the bomber’s girlfriend. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2019 - AudioFile