At one point in my life, I was a bit of a math genius. Although it’d be hard to call me that now, I still am a total geek when it comes to statistics and about percentages (I love figuring out tipping since it’s much simpler than people give it credit for). But Lily of The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff is much better at math than I am, and fortunately, this isn’t a story about math. Well, maybe it is.

Lily, Noah, and Simon have been good friends for a long time, and all of their lives are defined by some sort of tragedy. Simon’s dealing with a family member’s illness; Noah’s got an abusive parent; and Lily’s folks are not going to be keeping their marriage together for anything. Oh, and both Noah and Simon have the hots for Lily, even though she only has eyes for one of them.

Brezenoff’s story sounds exceedingly simple: it’s the tale of three teens who have a rough life. It’s told through each of their perspectives, beginning with Lily and ending with Simon. However, this is far from a simple story. Lily, Noah, and Simon are complex characters living within fluid and rapidly changing family situations, and it is through the tragedy and turbulence that these three characters find themselves and they figure out how they can relate to one another.

Bookending the stories of these three characters is Suzanne’s story: she’s Simon’s sister, and she plays a major part in Simon’s story. The book begins and ends in the same scene, molding the moments between that play out among the other three characters. Although the idea of teens coming from rough backgrounds is nothing new or earth shattering, especially in teen lit today, I thought that Brezenoff’s take was unique — I really liked and was fascinated by the stories underlying each teen’s life. I wanted to know what drove them to do what they did, and I wanted to know why Lily fell so hard for Noah while Simon fell so hard for Lily. Noah, who we know the least about going into the story, we continue knowing the least about because he offers us the least insight. It works, though, as Simon acts as a bit of the glue holding them all together.

While reading The Absolute Value of -1, I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that this is a book with serious award potential, either that of the National Book Award or the ALA Morris Award. There was something real and believable about the story, as it was about the kids you always seem to forget about in school. They aren’t necessarily losers or stoners or jocks or bullies. They participate in what interests them, but they aren’t super stars. This is a slice-of-life readers are interested in but aren’t often indulged with enough. Moreover, Brezenoff’s writing is believable and paced well. The book moves quickly, as readers are engaged with the characters who they want to get to know better and better. And by beginning the story with a real cliffhanger, we are immediately drawn into the who and the what, which won’t be truly resolved until the last page. It reminded me a lot of Rita Williams-Garcia’s Jumped, and I think fans of that style will eat this one up, as well.

Brezenoff’s story is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of angst and tragedy, as well as a lot of terse and unforgiving language. But the story pulses and moves, and the characters will not be easily forgotten. Simon earned a lot of respect from me as a reader quickly, and I found him to be such a refreshing male compared to a lot of other males lauded in teen lit today. Sure, he’s got it rough, but he also chose to make the best of the situation. If only Lily would open her eyes.

We are left knowing an end to a part of Simon’s story, but the book itself doesn’t resolve many issues. This tactic works, and it does not leave the door open for sequels. Perhaps the word I’m looking for is authentic — we know this story is just that, and readers will come away feeling that way, too. Hand this off to your fans of character-driven novels and fans of grittier lit, as well as fans of Gail Giles or Split by Swati Avasti. I think this book, in the right hands, will really open the doors of reading to many. This is the sort of book that will leave readers identifying heavily with someone or better understanding someone else.

* Review copy read and available at netgalley.com