Phoebe Unfired
Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Benson wasn't always germophobic.
There was a time she didn't worry obsessively about rogue pathogens lurking on every surface, lying in wait to contaminate her.
But that was before her brother Toby's premature birth left him with underdeveloped lungs. Before she got Covid and infected him, putting his already fragile life in danger.
To protect Toby's health in the years that follow, Phoebe dedicates herself to pathogen avoidance, refusing to touch any potential sources of contamination-handrails, doorknobs, vending machine buttons, and even other people-leading to an unintended life of seclusion. By the time she reaches high school, her only sources of respite are pottery class and her friendship with Walter, the elderly owner of the used bookstore where she works part-time.
Now Walter's devised a plan to help Phoebe overcome her anxiety, and she must decide whether to continue isolating herself or risk everything initiating a friendship with the charming subway busker she can't help but want to touch.
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"Heartfelt and hopeful, Phoebe Unfired is a timely and compassionate portrait of anxiety, family, and friendship--and what it means to fully live (and love) in a world composed of that which you fear the most." - Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be and The Last to Let Go
"An engaging narrative about coping with anxiety with an optimistic outlook... Jahn navigates the romance and social-commentary aspects expertly, and the work offers strong attention to detail, a well-paced plot, and intriguing major characters." - Kirkus Reviews
"Heartwarming and hopeful, Amalie Jahn's Phoebe Unfired explores what it might be like to navigate an anxiety disorder in post-Covid America. Phoebe's beautifully written journey toward acceptance and recovery is an absolute delight." -Katy Upperman, author of Kissing Max Holden, The Impossibility of Us, and How the Light Gets In
"Phoebe Unfired is a poignant and inspiring story about one girl's mental health struggles in a post-Covid world. Jahn has written an important book that beautifully deals with a variety of mental health topics, and it's impossible not to fall in love with Phoebe as she learns to love herself." -Kara McDowell, author of One Way or Another
"I felt so seen by Phoebe Unfired and how it represents living with anxiety in a relatable and stigma-free light. It's intimate and hopeful, and reminds me that everyone is worthy of love. Give this to anxious readers and the readers who love them--which is probably everyone you know. - Olivia Hinebaugh author of The Birds, the Bees, and You and Me
"Authentic anxiety representation, combined with excellent character development, make Phoebe Unfired the book that every teen needs to read during and after Covid." - Samantha Hastings, author of The Last Word and The Invention of Sophie Carter
"Authentic and absorbing. Phoebe Unfired gives an unflinching glimpse into daily life with anxiety. In a post-Covid world, this story of self-acceptance and tolerance is needed now more than ever. Readers who identify with Phoebe's struggles will root for her-and hopefully, for themselves-by the final page." - Erin Stewart, author of Scars Like Wings
"Phoebe Unfired positively and realistically portrays mental health struggles in a way that shows readers they are not alone, and they are never a burden. A raw, honest, and ultimately hopeful story about acceptance and forgiveness with a compelling voice that I couldn't put down." - Megan Cooley Peterson, author of The Liar's Daughter
"A compassionate and deeply empathetic novel with characters so beautifully written they wind themselves around the reader's heart where they reside long after the last page is turned. Though directed at a young adult market, the strong focus on self-love and complete acceptance of one's own mental health struggles makes Phoebe Unfired an important and much-needed story for teens and adults alike." - C.H. Armstrong, author of ROAM and The Edge of Nowhere
