1 part Ongoing MatureNova is nineteen, in love, and quietly unraveling. On the outside, she's starting a new chapter of her life: college, independence, and a small apartment she shares with Hazel - the girl who makes her feel seen, safe, and loved. But inside, Nova's mind is a violent tide. Manic highs swallow her in electric energy she can't control. Psychotic breaks pull her into shadowed corners of reality. And the constant, crushing weight of mental illness threatens to drag her under before she ever gets the chance to breathe.
Haunted by memories she can't outrun and emotions she can't always trust, Nova tries to keep her footing in a world that often feels like it's moving without her. Therapy sessions chip at the walls she's built. Creative sparks give her brief moments of clarity and purpose. Hazel's gentle steadiness becomes an anchor she wants to hold onto - even when she fears she's too broken to deserve it.
But recovery is not linear, and the currents of Nova's mind are unpredictable. Some days she feels unstoppable, full of light and possibility. Other days she sinks so deep she can barely remember the surface exists. As school pressures build, old wounds reopen, and the past begins to seep into the present, Nova must confront the truth she's been avoiding: healing is messy, survival is brutal, and loving someone while fighting your own mind is its own kind of battle.
Raw, intimate, and profoundly emotional, The River is a modern coming-of-age story about navigating mental illness, queer love, trauma, and the quiet bravery it takes to keep choosing life - even on the days when it feels impossible. Through lyrical prose and unflinching honesty, this novel invites readers into the aching beauty of Nova's journey as she learns that even when the water rises, there is still strength in reaching for the shore.
