The First Thing About You

Praise

Debut author Chaz Hayden delivers an engaging coming-of-age tale. . . [this novel is] real and gripping, allowing the reader to experience a no-holds-barred look into the life of a teenager with a life-altering condition.
—School Library Connection (starred review)

Debut author Hayden, who, like Harris, has SMA, writes with humor and compassion that instructs without lecturing. His funny, sarcastic, and smart narrator easily reminds the reader that people with disabilities have amazing abilities and, most important, are people first.
—Booklist

Debut novelist Chaz Hayden offers a fresh perspective on a teen protagonist who longs to feel normal in this humorous, unflinching book. . . . The book’s structure—five sections of varying lengths—beautifully reflects how time in high school can feel like it’s moving at different speeds depending on the situation, and short chapters mimic a fast-paced school day. . . . Fans of John Green or teen rom-coms will enjoy Hayden’s reminder that we are all trying to get others to look beyond our surfaces.
—BookPage

Fifteen-year-old Harris, who has spinal muscular atrophy, seeks to reinvent himself while navigating first love in Hayden’s sincere debut. . . . Via Harris’s wry first-person narration, Hayden, who also has SMA, explores themes of friendship and finding oneself with good humor and authority.
—Publishers Weekly

Melding wry wit, awkwardness, and introspection, Harris’ frank narration keeps the pages turning as he grapples with the uncomfortable, conflicting feelings of his romantic dilemma. The ending is a delightful pop of realism. . . . A witty, candid take on love, friendship, belonging, and disability.
—Kirkus Reviews

Readers will root for Harris as he navigates the highs and lows of high school, family life, and friendships.
—School Library Journal

The First Thing About You is a stellar debut about what does—and doesn’t—define us. It’s about being seen, and truly seeing; an entertaining and moving love note to the search for one’s place in the world. On top of all that, Chaz Hayden writes with the humor and heart of a seasoned storyteller. An instant favorite.
—John Corey Whaley (green), author of National Book Award Finalist Noggin and Michael L. Printz Award winner Where Things Come Back

A cross-country move means a fresh chance in this endearing novel about busting stereotypes.
—PEOPLE Magazine

Clear-eyed and bighearted and laugh-out-loud funny.
—Katie Cotugno (purple), New York Times best-selling author of 99 Days