Each night, Winter Moon counts her earnings dreaming of escape. Once she’s saved enough, she and her grandmother can finally take flight and disappear. But when her spiteful mother steals her money and blows through it all in one day, Winter is forced to turn to her estranged father, who recently reappeared in her life after being absent for more than a decade. They agree upon a simple contract: she spends time with him in exchange for payment.

It’s not easy reconciling the past and the present, though, and when she’s struck with a sudden loss, Winter flounders in grief and rage. The only person offering a hand is Joon, the new boy at school who sees Winter when no one else does.

When Winter discovers a secret her father has been keeping from her, things get even more complicated. As she navigates grief, first love, and forgiveness, Winter begins to forge connections, new and old, that make her question her future, her conviction to disappear, and what it really means to be family. Winter knows that broken things can never be fixed, but can they come back together in a different way?

This book contains scenes depicting child abuse.

If your favorite books are heartfelt, emotional, and require an entire box of tissues, you are going to love All the Tomorrows After. The story follows Korean-American teen Winter Moon, who has one mission: to earn enough money so she and her grandmother can escape her selfish mom. In the midst of grief and heartbreak, she reunites with her estranged father and finds an unexpected family as well as first love.

This has been one of my most satisfying reading experiences this year. The writing is eloquent and lyrical, and the story has great depth and relatable emotion. Winter Moon is an old young person—she’s young in age, but has dealt with a lot of hardship, betrayal, and heartache. She’s aware of her larger-than-life emotions, and she’s trying to manage them and navigate the world until she finds her way.

I read this book in one sitting, fully invested in the story. Winter and the rest of the cast each have their own story to tell, and Joanne Yi weaves everything together beautifully for a satisfying ending. I was blown away to learn that this is her debut novel and cannot wait to see what she brings us next.