I Won’t Feel This Way Forever
I Won’t Feel This Way Forever by Kim Spencer, published by Orca Book Publishers on October 14, 2025, is a poignant exploration of a young girl’s journey during a challenging summer in 1989. The story follows Mia as she navigates life without her ex-best friend, Lara, while dealing with her grandmother’s declining health. Set against the backdrop of summer vacation, Mia’s experiences include bonding with her family, learning new skills, and discovering her identity as she faces the realities of life and loss.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into themes of growing up and difficult discussions, as Mia transitions from carefree summer activities to the emotional weight of her grandmother’s illness. The story captures her time spent in Vancouver, where she balances hospital visits with moments of self-discovery, including participation in a basketball camp that connects her to her Indigenous heritage. This edition, consisting of 192 pages in English, offers an accessible format for readers to engage with Mia’s heartfelt journey.
Official synopsis Publisher
It’s the summer of 1989, and Mia is on her own–adjusting to life without her ex-best friend, Lara.
Summer vacation starts off well enough as Mia binges MTV and learns how to jar fish with her aunty and uncle. Then her grandma starts feeling unwell. At first, Mia isn’t too worried, but when a call comes in from the clinic to say her grandmother has to go to the hospital in Vancouver, everyone realizes this is serious.
Mia and her mom and aunties head to the city to be by her grandmother’s side. Mia mostly ping-pongs from the hospital to the motel, but she also gets to see some of the city and eat (too much) takeout. She even joins a basketball camp at the Friendship Centre, where she meets a teen coach who inspires her to get back into the game she loves and delve deeper into what it means to be Indigenous. As time passes, Mia’s grandmother’s health doesn’t improve, and she has to face the fact that her beloved grandma might not get better.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Praise for Kim Spencer’s Weird Rules to Follow
★”Readers will be left with a rich image of Mia’s world and the family and people that surround her as well as a strong sense of how culture and class impact people’s experiences. A touching exploration of identity and culture.”–Kirkus Reviews
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