German-born, New Rochelle, NY-based Navin offers one of the big debuts of next year, narrated by a six-year-old who has suffered a terrible trauma. Zach huddles in a school closet with his classmates and teacher as a gunman ranges through the school, killing 19 people. Later, he retreats into his own special hideaway and uses his imagination to heal. With a 125,000-copy first printing.

DEBUT Navin's first novel guides us through the aftermath of a tragedy through the eyes of a six-year-old child. When Zach Taylor's older brother, Andy, is killed in a school shooting, he is mostly left to fend for himself emotionally while his parents struggle to cope with the loss. Zach's father retreats into his work, while his mother turns to organizing a group of other affected parents to take legal action against the shooter's family. Unable to fully understand what's happening or process his emotions, Zach retreats to a "hideout" in Andy's bedroom closet. As his family continues to deteriorate, he learns to use both his anger and his sympathy to begin the healing process. While the narration approaches preciousness at times, telling the story through Zach's eyes allows it to focus on human emotion and family dynamics without getting bogged down in political posturing. Zach has a refreshing honesty because he's not old enough to have learned to filter his emotions, and, as befits a child, many of his observations are sensory: smells, facial expressions, bodily functions. VERDICT A tough, topical story with a hopeful conclusion for the family, this is a strong book club choice. [See Prepub Alert, 8/28/17.]—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

Navin's gripping debut opens with first grader Zach Taylor huddling in a closet with his teacher and classmates while shots and screams echo in his school's corridors. After the shooting, Zach's parents' frantically search for Andy, Zach's older brother, only to discover that he is one of the victims. Zach's gradual comprehension of the tragedy includes his bewilderment when people bring food to his house, which he thinks of as an unseemly party. As he works through his memories of Andy, he comes to an aching realization of the depth of his loss. His parents are too preoccupied with their own grief to notice Zach's anguish or to bring him to therapy. He takes refuge in books, reading hidden in Andy's bedroom closet, and is the bystander to his mother's nervous volatility and his father's adulterous liaison. When his mother resolves to bring a lawsuit against the parents of the boy who wielded the gun, in spite of the fact that the two families have had a longtime friendly relationship, Zach conceives a dangerous "mission" to bring healing to his parents and the community. Those who can handle the difficult subject matter will find the plot to be a page-turner; Navin also excels in brilliantly capturing Zach's perspective. 125,000-copy announced first printing. (Feb.)

In this gut-wrenching debut novel, readers meet Zachary Taylor, a first grader, just as his 10-year-old brother is gunned down in a school shooting. The book begins with Zach and his classmates hiding in the classroom closet with their terrified teacher. That experience is riveting, as is the following account of a family, broken by needless violence, desperately trying to cope. Zach's murdered brother, Andy, was a difficult child, who had oppositional defiant disorder and, as a result, anger and behavior issues. His parents grieve, but Zach is initially glad that his mean brother is not around anymore. However, the gentle themes of loyalty, love, and good versus evil found in Zach's favorite books, Mary Pope Osborne's "The Magic Treehouse" series, resonate for Zach and help him to understand that his family had issues because of Andy's behavioral problems, but they all loved Andy regardless. The first-person narration reflects six-year-old Zach's limited perspective of the world. Teens may initially find the somewhat stilted language distracting, but they will soon become absorbed. Zach's voice and his parents' emotions are genuine. On a par with John Green's evocative writing, Navin's tale can be a difficult read. But this work is an important reflection of the culture, with school shootings as commonplace as they are. VERDICT For teens who appreciate intense emotional stories and those who feel compelled to read about this new normal, such as in Marieke Nijkamp's This Is Where It Ends.—Gretchen Crowley, formerly at Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA