The Living List

A YA contemporary novel near and dear to my heart, with the first draft completed in the summer of 2024 and the first pass of edits at the start of 2025. Currently seeking representation.

The end of Forrest's senior year didn't exactly go as expected. Instead of prom or graduation, he went to three funerals. An earnestly introspective person at best and a passionate over-thinker at worst, it's not exactly a surprise he blames himself for what happened. Now freshly aged out of foster care, Forrest has decided to take the next train out of town and never get close to anyone again. That is, until he meets a stranger with a name he can't immediately describe the taste of-- a usual occurrence thanks to his lexical-gustatory synesthesia. 

Artemis, the parentified eldest daughter of six, is desperate for an escape from her responsibilities... and the butterflies she gets around her best friend. After Forrest is nearly knocked out by her asshole of an ex-boyfriend, he's invited to move into her family's yellow home on one condition: if anything happens to Artemis he will leave. She helps him make a living list, a collection of things Forrest chooses to live for, with sunsets at the top. Artemis’ own self-destructive tendencies worsen as her straight girl persona cracks, putting Forrest at risk of losing yet another family.