LAST YEAR WITH MADDY

“At the heart of Last Year with Maddy are words – words of humour, of anger, of discovery, of connection. A complex and moving story about sisterly love.” – Adam Sol, poet and author of How a Poem Moves

“Bittersweet… haunting… tender… The sweet ending is filled with hope…” – Foreword Reviews

“This book has heart… The author does a masterful job of blending Aviva’s family and friend issues, and young readers will be shown the world of autism from a different perspective” – YA Books Central

“Original, exceptional, and a fun read from start to finish… Last Year With Maddy draws upon author Anna Rosner’s own personal experience with loss and recovery [which] gives the story an impressively exceptional storytelling quality….unreservedly recommended for middle school and community library Contemporary Fiction collections for young readers ages 9-12.” – Midwest Reviews

“Last Year With Maddy is a raw, honest and heartfelt book about the power of friendship and forgiveness. Aviva’s voice is pitch-perfect… This book is filled with heart and hope” – Sidura Ludwig, award-winning author of Swan: The Girl Who Grew  

Can best friends Aviva and Maddy survive the hardest year of their lives without each other?

Twelve-year-olds Maddy Li-Quinn and Aviva Adelman were born on the same street and have been inseparable ever since. Innately connected through their love of the arts, Aviva reads poetry, and Maddy is a gifted violinist. However, over the course of a painful year, very different family struggles drive the two girls apart. Maddy encounters violence in the home, and Aviva’s baby brother faces a difficult diagnosis.

To cope with the stress, Aviva’s mother suggests she write a book about her friendship with Maddy. In an attempt to heal through the written word, Aviva becomes the funny, feisty protagonist of her own book, reflecting back on her life, and realizing that she, too, has made many mistakes along the way.

Last Year with Maddy draws on the author’s personal experience with loss and recovery.