No Going Back

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"Powerful.... The excellent pacing and heart-wrenching exploration of redemption will sweep readers up." --Kirkus Reviews

"[A] page-turning, highly readable story." --Booklist

"Time-stamped chapters add urgency, intensity, and excitement as the thrilling plot progresses, making for a page-turning story about forgiveness and personal evolution." --Publishers Weekly

"The fast pace of the book will keep readers engaged as they bounce between the present and the past .... the energy of Antonio's story will sweep interested readers along, and they will sympathize with his desire to become the person he knows he can be throughout this novel focused on friendship, loyalty and redemption." --Bookpage

In this tour de force about one teen's quest for redemption from the award-winning author of American Road Trip, Antonio is determined to make amends to the people he hurt most--even if it means breaking the terms of his early release from juvenile detention.

It's Friday morning, and seventeen-year-old Antonio Sullivan is on the verge of earning his early release from Zephyr Woods Youth Detention Center. Having been incarcerated for the last year and a half for a crime he didn't directly commit, he's now dedicating himself to his education and his sobriety program. What's more, Antonio is driven by a deep need to make amends to the two people he hurt the most: his mom and his lifelong best friend, Maya. The conditions of his early release are clear--Antonio can't have any contact with his father or miss his first meeting with his parole officer Monday morning. But a lot can happen between Friday and Monday, especially when the odds are against you.

Told through time-stamped chapters that race at a fever pitch over the course of a weekend, this absorbing coming-of-age novel explores what it means to right past wrongs in the face of adversity.

PRAISE FOR NO GOING BACK

"Fast-paced, poignant, and poetic . . . This is a book of unexpected hope." --Sondra Soderborg, author of Sky Ropes

"A deep look into the heart of being misunderstood, told with prose you just can't fake. With honest voices, a flow of poetry, and a satisfying conclusion, this book is a gift with a purpose, the kind you hand to a reader that both wants and needs it." --Sean Beaudoin, author of Welcome Thieves and Wise Young Fool

"A gripping and heart-wrenching novel about family, friendship and second chances--will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end." --Betty Culley, author of Three Things I Know are True and The Name She Gave Me

"Poetry, resilience, unflinching honesty, a steady undercurrent of hope, plus a wild adventure with a ticking clock, this book packs it all in for a three-day turbulent ride that's full of heart." --Kristin Bartley Lenz, author of The Art of Holding On and Letting Go

"A powerful story of the push and pull between doing what's right and being there for the people we love." --Katherine Higgs-Coulthard, author of Junkyard Dogs and Hanging with My Peeps

"Patrick Flores-Scott delivers a beautiful exploration of familial love, the idea of healthy friendships, and the long-term impacts of trauma." --Rita Shah, author of The Meaning of Rehabilitation and Its Impact on Parole

Author: Patrick Flores-Scott
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books-Little Brown and Hach
Published: 04/02/2024
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.67w x 1.26d
ISBN: 9780316407502
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2024
Publishers Weekly 02/05/2024
Booklist 02/15/2024 pg. 53
BookPage 04/01/2024

About the Author

Patrick Flores-Scott is the acclaimed author of the award-winning novels Jumped In and American Road Trip, which was named a YALSA Best Fiction Book, a TAYSHAS Reading List Selection, an SLJ National Hispanic Heritage Month pick, and a Teen Vogue Best Gift Book, and was licensed to WEBTOON for graphic digital serialization. Patrick taught public school in Seattle, Washington, for many years and has written for theater and the slam poetry stage. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his family and invites you to visit him online at patrickfloresscott.com.