I Will Save You

Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña's I Will Save You is a "heartwarming, root-for-the-underdog novel." [SLJ]
Kidd is running from his past and his future. No mom, no dad, and there's nothing for him at the group home but therapy. He doesn't belong at the beach where he works either, unless he finds a reason to stay.
Olivia is blond hair, blue eyes, rich dad. The prettiest girl in Cardiff. She's hiding something from Kidd-but could they ever be together anyway?
Devon is mean, mysterious, and driven by a death wish. A best friend and worst enemy. He followed Kidd all the way to the beach and he's not leaving until he teaches him a few lessons about life. And Olivia.
"A taut psychological novel...[with] intriguing, well-developed characters...[that] will stay with readers."-Booklist
"De la Peña skillfully captures the slippery sides of a schizophrenic personality in this heartwarming, root-for-the-underdog novel."-SLJ
An Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalist
ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Readers
An ALA-YALSA Quick Pick
A Junior Library Guild Selection

Matt de la Peña is the first Mexican American author to win the Newbery Medal. He attended the University of the Pacific on a basketball scholarship and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at San Diego State University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he teaches creative writing. I Will Save You is his fourth novel. Look for his other books, Ball Don't Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, The Living, which was named a Pura Belpré Honor Book, and The Hunted, all available from Delacorte Press. You can also visit him at mattdelapena.com and follow @mattdelapena on Twitter.