This is a story of with many different issues that Eleanor faces as a teenager. She faces puberty with no self esteem, her mother has just tried to commit suicide. And now her bully has committed suicide. El's English teacher comes up with the idea for each student to start a journal of letters to someone expressing their thoughts and feelings as a means to cope with his suicide. El chooses to write hers to her bully. I want to thank the publisher through LibraryThing for the ARC to review. ( )

So glad I finally read this book. At first I was disappointed I didn’t pick it up sooner, but now I’m glad I waited. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much or gotten as much out of it if I’d read it last year or even last month. This is a special story about a girl who is finding herself and learning it’s okay to not fit in. Absolutely loved it! ( )

Everything Grows by Aimee Herman is an introspective young adult novel.

Eleanor Fromme's reaction to the news that her classmate who bullied her, James, committed suicide leads to unforeseen consequences. Her best friend Dara's shocking comments serve as a catalyst to a realization that Eleanor has struggled to articulate for quite some time. In the midst of this uncertainty, she is also still grappling with her mother Shirley's suicide attempt and Eleanor's fears that she will try again. Her journey to understand herself is viewed through a class assignment in which Eleanor writes diary format letters to James. By the end of the assignment, Eleanor has a better understanding of herself, yet there are still layers she has yet to explore.

Eleanor's voice is quite engaging as she ponders the shifts within herself. Her hurt at Dara's rejection is tempered by her unexpected friendship with new student Aggie. Her lingering concerns about her mother's mental health issues are realistically depicted and rather poignant. With her oldest sister Greta off at college, Shirley's best friend, Flor, provides Eleanor with a steadying influence and someone to confide in as she becomes more comfortable with who she is. Meeting James's mother, Helaine, gives Eleanor access to James's diary where she learns she and her bully have more in common than she thought possible.

Everything Grows is a thought-provoking young adult novel that is insightful and reflective. The characters are well-developed and likable. Aimee Herman deftly handles sensitive subject matter in a forthright and realistic manner. The novel ends on a positive note, but Eleanor's journey is not yet complete since she is still wrestling with other parts of her sexual identity.
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A lot of books show up at my home that go unread - to be given away or on the never-ending TBR pile. Thankfully something about "Everything Grows" urged me to read it and now. And that is exactly what this books does to your heart - it plants into your heart and tears it apart as it blossoms.

Aimee Herman gives us the tale of Eleanor. A teen in 1993 (This GenXer is still floored each time she reads a book that is nostalgic for her own high school days and LOVES it. Even if it is hard to read "historical fiction" for that time.) whose bully has recently taken his own life just months after her mom attempted to do the same. At the prompting for her English teacher, Eleanor journals her way through the months after the bully's death, exploring not just their relationship, but also her relationship with her mother, and most importantly herself.

There are definitely places in this book where I felt it was a bit unrealistic, but it works in the end. It all works. 1993 was a huge year for me. I am the same age as Eleanor's sister, who struggles through her first year of college. Every step along Eleanor's journey was deeply felt due to both superb writing, but also personal flashbacks.

I am not sure how this would go over with someone who has survived their own attempt to take their lives, so please consult someone. I do know that this book is full of hope as Eleanor wrestles with what suicide means - is it giving up? Is it giving in? Why? Why not? This book is also about queer youth, as signaled by the rainbow button on the cover. According to the Trevor Project "suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 and LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth." From everything I know of LGB youth and young adults, I would like to think this book is a welcome addition to their lives as it is affirming not just for one's identity, but for the really fucked up ways we all stumble through figuring out that identity.

As a parent, I appreciated the insight into the teen mind. As I get older, I lose the finer touch of my memories. Aimee Herman reminded me of all the drama that happens in our minds and hearts. And why sometimes the best thing a parent can do it simply say, "I love you. I accept you." and the shut the fuck up.

I was going to give this to a parent who spotted me reading it at soccer, but I think I'm going to walk this over to our Gender and Sexuality Center over my lunch break.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I thought I'd love this book, but it didn't really click as well with me as I thought it would. It wasn't awful and I liked the overall story, but sometimes situations felt forced and conversations and thoughts seemed unbelievable at times. When that happened, it'd take me out of the story and I had a hard time getting back into it. Like I said, not a bad book, but not on my list of favs either. ( )