What Goes Up

How do you forgive yourself—and the people you love—when a shocking discovery leads to a huge mistake? Acclaimed author Christine Heppermann’s novel-in-verse tackles betrayals and redemption among family and friends with her signature unflinching—but always sharply witty—style. For fans of Elana K. Arnold, Laura Ruby, and A. S. King.

When Jorie wakes up in the loft bed of a college boy she doesn’t recognize, she’s instantly filled with regret. What happened the night before? What led her to this place? Was it her father’s infidelity? Her mother’s seemingly weak acceptance? Her recent breakup with Ian, the boy who loved her art and supported her through the hardest time of her life?

As Jorie tries to reconstruct the events that led her to this point, free verse poems lead the reader through the current morning, as well as flashbacks to her relationships with her parents, her friends, her boyfriend, and the previous night.

With Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty and Ask Me How I Got Here, Christine Heppermann established herself as a vital voice in thought-provoking and powerful feminist writing for teens. Her poetry is surprising, wry, emotional, and searing. What Goes Up is by turns a scorchingly funny and a deeply emotional story that asks whether it’s possible to support and love someone despite the risk of being hurt. Readers of Laura Ruby, E. K. Johnston, Elana K. Arnold, and Laurie Halse Anderson will find a complicated heroine they won’t soon forget.

One night of bad decisions. A morning full of questions.

• Complicated Family Relationships: Jorie is grappling with her dad’s affair and her mom’s decision to forgive him, forcing her to question everything she knows about love and loyalty.
• A Night of Lost Memories: Waking up next to a stranger named Conor, Jorie must piece together the hazy, regret-filled events of the night before through a series of flashbacks.
• Messy Heroine: Unflinching and sharply witty, Jorie makes huge mistakes as she navigates her anger, hurting her ex-boyfriend Ian and herself in the process.
• Told in Verse: Experience this raw, emotional story through a series of poignant and powerful free verse poems that pull you directly into Jorie’s mind.