SOMETHING BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

A sweeping, romantic, coming-of-age novel and deep-cutting love story for teen fans of Jodi Picoult.

Sixteen-year-old Ellie has been in mourning for the last year since her twin brother, Jack, died in a car accident. Ellie barely eats or sleeps, her grades have plummeted. The only thing that brings her solace is running under the stars -- the same constellations she once studied with her brother.

Then, on a midnight run, she collides with a mysterious boy she's never seen before but is inexplicably drawn to. Homeschooled most of his life due to illness, Tom is finally healthy and experiencing the wide-open world for the first time. Ellie isn't looking for boyfriend. She isn't even looking for a friend. But she can't help but feel like the cosmos are pulling them together... until a stunning discovery throws Ellie's entire universe into chaos.

For fans of The Fault in Our Stars, If I stay, and Six Feet Apart, debut author Cathryn Free's Something Bright and Beautiful will have teen girls crying to their friends (and to TikTok!). The author gracefully navigates grief, mental health, first love, the cosmic feeling of finding your person - and yourself. Something Bright and Beautiful is exactly that: something bright and beautiful.

Cathryn (Cate) Free is a middle school teacher in Wisconsin, an avid YA reader herself, and member of SCBWI. Her goal is to be the light in this dark world through stories, and articles that show joy and love even in the darkest of times. When she's not writing, she can be found running, sipping coffee and daydreaming. This is her debut novel.