Back When You Were Easier to Love

**Quirky and crushing, Joy’s story is told in shifting flashbacks as she finds herself abandoned by the love of her life.

“Joy Afterclein is a girl who follows her heart into the Land of Conformity and comes out wiser on the other side.”—Natalie Standiford, author of How to Say Goodbye in Robot

“Emily Wing Smith understands obsession and the acute condition of the heart when broken, and when on the mend.”—Sara Zarr, author of Story of a Girl and Once Was Lost
**
Who Zan Is:
Blow-your-mind brilliant
Stop-your-heart gorgeous
Hold-your-breath clever

Who Zan Was:
Joy’s boyfriend

Why Joy Needs Him Back:
So she can breathe again.

What That Means:
An elaborate road trip involving a SAAB 900, Sprite, and Barry Manilow. Oh, and Noah, Zan’s irritating-but-almost-charming ex–best friend.