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When the World Was Happy
Table of Contents
About The Book
CheChe knows that he and his twin sister Emma lead an unusual life. They enjoy spending time with their parents and grandparents, love to read, and don’t have a huge circle of friends—and they’re happy. Then, just a few months after they turn seventeen, three gunmen show up one morning at their El Paso, Texas, high school, and everything changes.
CheChe loses a leg, and both he and Emma have friends who die. Suddenly, the world feels like a very different place. But what they find hasn’t changed—or has only gotten deeper—is their love for their family, their close friends, and one another, and as they begin to heal, they create their own little community, one that wields the power of humor, kindness, and hope.
CheChe finds himself doing all kinds of things he never expected from his junior year: relearning to walk, falling in love with the boy he’s nursed a longtime crush on, making friends with a kid he always found intimidating. By the end of this life-changing school year, none of them will be the same, and many of them will have found their voices in ways they never imagined.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (December 1, 2026)
- Length: 416 pages
- ISBN13: 9798347104055
- Ages: 14 - 99
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Raves and Reviews
"A heartrending yet beautiful story about how through tragedy and sorrow it is possible to grow, heal, and find your voice in unimaginable ways."
– School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
★ "A heartrending yet beautiful story about how through tragedy and sorrow it is possible to grow, heal, and find your voice in unimaginable ways."
– School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
"A wrenching examination of grief, trauma, and survival in the wake of gun violence."
– Publishers Weekly
★ "A lyrical novel about an unforgettable family maintaining their humanity in the aftermath of tragedy."
– Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
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Book Cover Image (jpg): When the World Was Happy
Hardcover 9798347104055
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Author Photo (jpg): Benjamin Alire Sáenz Photograph by Vantage Point Studios(0.1 MB)
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