High School, Older Teens ; Hard Cover, LGBTQIA+, Realistic ; Highly Recommended

Jagged Little Pill

Eric Smith along with Alanis Morisette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard have taken the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical by the same name and novelized it for a high school audience. This is a grand-salami story from five teen voices where perspectives are not always what they seem and choices have repercussions. The main storyline focuses on the Healy family who tries to be picture-perfect but the frame slams to the ground. There are so many, many layers as the jagged little pill dissolves — people exploring their sexuality, people learning to trust themselves, people taking a social stand, people learning how relationships work. “Harder” pills of rape, drug addiction, and mental health issues will also push a fast-paced plot that includes text message conversations for audience appeal. Jagged Little Pill has a broad audience and will be an easy sell when book-talked. Highly recommended.