A Teen Novel

Shimon lives in an orphanage in upstate New York with his best friend, Lazer. Brave but lonely, he dreams of one day having a family. Aharon lives in Barrington, several cities over, with his parents and two siblings. Ruled by his fears and struggling to make friends, Aharon’s only dream is to keep his head buried peacefully in his books.

Separated by hundreds of miles and vastly different personalities, the two boys would seem to have nothing in common. But when Shimon discovers that he was wrong about what happened to his family, Aharon and Shimon are set on a collision course with destiny — and with each other.

Shimon always thought his father died in the car crash that took his mother. Then, one day, in a drawer in the orphanage office, he finds a letter to his father that was written just recently! Using the mailing address on the letter as his starting point, he goes on a quest to find his father and become a family again.

But things aren’t always as straightforward as we would hope. Amid heartbreak, new friendships, and one very prim and proper Time-Traveling Aubergine, Shimon and Aharon are forced to confront their fears and struggles in a harsh and complicated world. Ultimately, they must each look in the mirror and confront themselves – FACE2FACE.

By Yonah Klein