TRIGGER
by Susan Vaught

I have this dream where both legs work and both
arms work and I don’t have any scars on the outside...

 Seventeen-year-old Jersey Hatch shot himself.
 That much, he knows.

 He survived with no vision in his right eye,
 a left side that doesn’t work very well,
 a jumbled up memory, and a tendency to say
 too much about what’s on his mind.
 That much, he knows.

 What Jersey doesn’t know is why he did it.

Home from the hospital, Jersey launches a search
 for the truth. He has to know why he tried to kill
 himself—even if the answers cost him everything.

Honors

"Poignantly affirming of life and love even in the face of overwhelming loss, this is a haunting tragicomic drama of grief and renewal." --Horn Book, Starred Review

BookSense Children's Pick

"A powerful cautionary tale."--Publisher's Weekly, Boxed Starred Review

"An original and meaningful work that provokes thought about action, consequence, redemption and renewal."--Booklist, Starred Review

Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) 2007

TAYSHAS Reading List 2007-2008