Sometimes I wish I was the one who died.

After a school shooting stole the life of my boyfriend Mario, the only person I could truly be myself with, I'm left with a grief that no one understands. How do you mourn someone when your love was a secret?

My therapist said writing might help, so I started putting pen to page. They're my attempt to make sense of everything-the guilt, the pain, the memories of a love that was cut short. But each letter only brings more questions: How do I love again when everything seems lost? How do I keep going when the world feels so broken?

As I navigate the wreckage, I'm forced to face hard truths about my faith, my sexuality, and a world where gun violence is just another tragic reality. But it's also a story of hope. I meet others who help me learn how to advocate for myself and fight for a future that feels possible.

Dear My Therapist is a fresh, heartbreaking, yet hopeful coming-of-age story. Tackling gun violence, grief, faith, sexuality, self discovery, and the hope that somehow, even after everything, there's still a chance to love again, this is a moving work of fiction perfect for young adults.