Unfolding

Jonah wishes he could get the girl, but he’s an outcast and she’s the most perfect girl he knows.

And their futures seemed destined to fork apart: Jonah’s physical condition is debilitating, and epileptic seizures fill his life with frustration. Whereas Stormi is seemingly carefree, and navigates life by sensing things before they happen. And her most recent premonition is urging her to leave town.

When Stormi begs Jonah for help, he finds himself swept into a dark mystery his small town—including his father—has been keeping for years. And the answers Stormi needs about her own past could possibly destroy everything Jonah has ever known—as well as his growing relationship with Stormi herself.

Praise for Unfolding:

“Friesen's story unfolds with so much intrigue, swells with so much heart, I had to keep reading. And the writing? Beautiful!”

—Jay Asher, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Thirteen Reasons Why

“As someone with Tourette Syndrome, I grew up with a condition that others did not understand. It affected the way I was viewed and the way I viewed myself. I applaud Jonathan Friesen for telling a story about overcoming such a challenge in Unfolding. Hopefully, this will inspire others growing up with such conditions as well as help everyone else better understand what is involved.”

—Tim Howard, former US national team goaltender and current goalkeeper for the Colorado Rapids

 

About the Author: Jonathan Friesen is an author, speaker, and youth writing coach from Mora, Minnesota. His first young adult novel, Jerk, California, received the ALA Schneider Award. When he’s not writing, speaking at schools, or teaching, Jonathan loves to travel and hang out with his wife and three kids. Jonathan's books often feature a lead character struggling with a physical, social or mental health disorder. He portrays life vividly through the eyes of those who are different so that readers can see that we really are all the same, regardless of appearance, diagnosis, or state of mind. Read Jonathan Friesen's Huffington Post article, The Six Blessings of Mental Health here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-friesen/the-six-blessings-of-ment_b_6507178.html Follow Jonathan Friesen on Social Media to talk with him about his books: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJonathanFriesen Twitter: @FriesenJonathan Instagram: @friesenbooks

From MidWest Book Review:

The Fiction Shelf

Unfolding

Jonathan Friesen
Blink

9780310748335, $16.99, HC, 288pp

Jonah wishes he could get the girl, but he's an outcast and she's the most perfect girl he knows. And their futures seemed destined to fork apart: Jonah's physical condition is debilitating, and epileptic seizures fill his life with frustration. Whereas Stormi is seemingly carefree, and navigates life by sensing things before they happen. And her most recent premonition is urging her to leave town. When Stormi begs Jonah for help, he finds himself swept into a dark mystery his small town has been keeping for years. And the answers Stormi needs about her own past could possibly destroy everything Jonah has ever known -- including his growing relationship with Stormi herself. "Unfolding" by author Jonathan Friesen is a consistently compelling novel from beginning to end and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to highschool and community library YA Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Unfolding" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

This title has a teen male protagonist/POV
This title embraces diversity and features a lead character with mental and physical health disorders.
Meet the author at the 2016 YALSA Symposium in Pittsburgh. He will be a member of the Diversity Panel.
The author is an advocate and national spokesperson for people living with Tourette's Syndrome.
This author is available for school, library and event keynote and speaking opportunities via his contact form at http://speaking.jonathanfriesen.com/booking/.