The Minus-One Club

From the acclaimed author of How It Went Down and Light It Up comes a moving contemporary YA novel about a group of teens whose lives have been upended by tragedy, and the bond they share to lift them out of their grief.

Fifteen-year-old Kermit Sanders knows grief and its all-encompassing shadows. After losing his beloved older sister, nothing quite punctures through the feelings of loss. Everywhere Kermit goes, he is reminded of her.

But then Kermit finds a mysterious invitation in his locker, signed anonymously with "-1." Dubbed the "Minus-One Club," a group of his schoolmates has banded together as a form of moral support. The members have just one thing in common—they have all suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved. Kermit’s secret crush, the handsome and happy-go-lucky Matt (and only out gay student at school), is also a part of the group. Slowly, Matt's positive headstrong approach to life helps relieve Kermit of his constant despair.

But as Kermit grows closer to Matt, the light of his new life begins to show the cracks beneath the surface. When Matt puts himself in danger by avoiding his feelings, Kermit must find the strength to not only lift himself back up but to help the rest of the group from falling apart.

Kekla Magoon writes novels and nonfiction books for teens, including 37 Things I Love, The Rock and the River, How It Went Down, Light It Up, and Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People, which was a National Book Award Finalist, LA Times Book Prize Finalist, and Michael L. Printz Honor book. Kekla received the 2021 Margaret A. Edwards Award for her significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Past recognitions include a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and four Coretta Scott King Honors. She holds a BA from Northwestern University and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.