The Truth About the Void

Eighteen-year-old Andrzej Ratajczyk's life is far from ideal. After being surrendered to an orphanage by his abusive and neglectful birth parents at age ten, he is fostered and eventually adopted by the deeply dysfunctional Frederick and Emmeline Sharpe. After witnessing Frederick's suicide, Emmeline begins a downward spiral - and has every intention of bringing Andrzej down with her.
Amidst his chaotic life, Andrzej meets a girl named Riann Mabry. For a moment, he experiences some semblance of relief and a distraction from his home life, the details of which he completely withholds from Riann. Ultimately, though, he determines that Riann's love for him will never be enough, and that no earthly being can break through the scar tissue of his past.
As Andrzej's toxic relationship with Emmeline falls further into decay, so does his mental health. He develops an obsession with Death, which he believes to be the only solace from his living hell. But to Andrzej, Death is not a part of life or a state of being: Death is the mother he's always wished for, the soulmate to mend his broken heart, and the savior who will lead him into the Void, the afterlife Andrzej believes will bring eternal peace.
While the idea of such a place brings him comfort amidst his disastrous life, the Void is much more real than Andrzej realizes... and it's not what he imagined it to be.