Tell Me Three Things

9780553535648|excerpt

Buxbaum / TELL ME THREE THINGS

Chapter 1

Seven hundred and thirty-­three days after my mom died, forty-­five days after my dad eloped with a stranger he met on the Internet, thirty days after we then up and moved to California, and only seven days after starting as a junior at a brand-­new school where I know approximately no one, an email arrives. Which would be weird, an anonymous letter just popping up like that in my in-­box, signed with the bizarre alias Somebody Nobody, no less, except my life has become so unrecognizable lately that nothing feels shocking anymore. It took until now ­seven hundred and thirty-­three whole days in which I ve felt the opposite of normal ­for me to discover this one important life lesson: turns out you can grow immune to weird.

To: Jessie A. Holmes (jesster567@gmail.com)

From: Somebody Nobody (somebodynobo@gmail.com)

Subject: your Wood Valley H.S. spirit guide

hey there, Ms. Holmes. we haven t met irl, and I m not sure we ever will. I mean, we probably will at some point ­maybe I ll ask you the time or something equally mundane and beneath both of us ­but we ll never actually get to know each other, at least not in any sort of real way that matters . . . which is why I figured I d email you under the cloak of anonymity.

and yes, I realize I m a sixteen-­year-­old guy who just used the words cloak of anonymity. and so there it is already: reason #1 why you ll never get to know my real name. I could never live the shame of that pretentiousness down.

cloak of anonymity ? seriously?

and yes, I also realize that most people would have just texted, but couldn t figure out how to do that without telling you who I am.

I have been watching you at school. not in a creepy way. though I wonder if even using the word creepy by definition makes me creepy? anyhow, it s just . . . you intrigue me. you must have noticed already that our school is a wasteland of mostly blond, vacant-­eyed

1. JULIE BUXBAUM is the author of the critically acclaimed The Opposite of Love and After You, and her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Tell Me Three Things is her first novel for young adults. 2. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two young children, and an immortal goldfish. 3. Julie once received an anonymous email, which inspired Jessie s story.
 
Visit Julie online at juliebuxbaum.com and follow @juliebux on Twitter, where she doesn t list everything in groups of three.

"Here are three things about this book: (1) It's sweet and funny and romantic; (2) the mystery at the heart of the story will keep you turning the pages; (3) I have a feeling you'll be very happy you read it." Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

"The desire to find out whether Jessie's real-life and virtual crushes are one and the same will keep [readers] turning the pages as quickly as possible."--Publishers Weekly, Starred

"A heartfelt, wryly perceptive account of coming to terms with irrevocable loss when life itself means inevitable change." Kirkus Reviews

"Buxbaum's debut is hard to put down because of its smooth and captivating text. The addition of virtual conversations through email and chatting adds to the exciting plot twist."--SLJ

"Buxbaum adds layered plotlines about grief, family, and the confusion and hardships of growing up, all with a touch of humor and romance. A solid YA debut."--Booklist