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Last Year With Maddy

By (author): Anna Rosner

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. The two are innately connected through their love of the arts: Aviva is passionate about poetry and writing, 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 the past year, Aviva realizes 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.

Reviews

Last Year With Maddy is a raw honest and heartfelt book about the power of friendship and forgiveness Avivas voice is pitchperfect as she comes to terms with what happened in the last year between her and her best friend Maddy Both girls navigate difficult moments in their lives and neither are perfect in how they try to support one another But its in their imperfections that the reader recognizes their humanity and their love for each other This book is full of heart and hope Sidura Ludwig awardwinning author of Swan The Girl Who Grew

Rosner has produced a layered and nuanced narrative in Last Year with Maddy with the musicality of an orchestral symphony Readers will experience piercing high notes and resonant lows not just from Avivas story but from each character as they perform in sometimes sad angry joyful but always hopeful concert Paul Coccia awardwinning author of Recommended Reading

At the heart of Last Year with Maddy are wordswords of humour of anger of discovery of connection A complex and moving story about friendship and sisterly love Adam Sol poet and author of How a Poem Moves A Field Guide for Readers of Poetry



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Details

Dimensions:

158 Pages
8in * 5.5in * 0in
10gr

Published:

April 15, 2026

ISBN:

9781773371498

Book Subjects:

JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship

Featured In:

All Books

Language:

eng

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