User:Tnhawkins18/The Impossible Knife of Memory

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The Impossible Knife of Memory is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson published in 2014. The novel centers on Hayley Kincain, who moves back to her hometown with her father, Andy, after being on the road for five years. While she struggles to fit in into high school, she constantly worries about her father's mental stability, as Andy is a war vet who suffers from PTSD and alcoholism. The novel has received positive reviews for Anderson's female protagonist being relatable to teens and for her realistic portrayal of PTSD.

Plot
After five years of being on the road, Andy Kincain and his teenage daughter, Hayley, move back to their hometown so that Hayley could attend high school and attempt to lead a "normal life." Hayley finds it difficult to fit in, separating the students in her school as "freaks" (good people) and "zombies" (bad people), in which her sarcastic and defiant attitude constantly lands her in trouble in trouble with the teachers and an outcast amongst her peers. Her only friend, Gracie, whom she met when she first arrived back in town, tries help Hayley fit in with people at school. Through Gracie, Hayley meets Finn, a nerdy guy who attempts to convince her to write for the school newspaper. Hayley repeatedly denies, saying that she refuses to be involved with school because she feels it is a waste of time. When she finds out that it will get her off her teachers' bad side, she finally agrees.