Patrick Downes – författare

The powerful story of a mind at the edge of unraveling, held together by love and acceptance.Nest and Q walk through the city. Nest speaks and Q listens. Mile by mile, Nest tells Q about her life, her family, her past . . . and her Chimaera, the beast that preys on her mind and causes her to lose herself. Q knows only that his love for Nest runs deeper than the demon that plagues her thoughts, that he loves her in spite of—or perhaps because of—the personal battle she fights every day.A beautifully-written, haunting story.Praise for Ten Miles One Way:“A loving but honest treatment of mental illness, these words will sing off the page and into your heart. No question: the world is a better place with Patrick Downes writing in it.”—A. M. Jenkins, author of the Printz Honor Book Repossessed* "Downes subtly plumbs the depths of mental illness within the broader context of relationship and self-awareness....An intricate, unusual love story for readers attuned to compassion."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Through bewitching prose, idiosyncratic detail, and the presentation of a mind simultaneously on the edge of epiphany and exhaustion, breakthrough and breakdown, Downes crafts a tender portrayal of both mental illness and love itself. Part romance, part poetry, and part monologue, perceptive teens will devour this one."—Booklist"This is a dark, affecting tale about the mind of a bipolar adolescent attempting to run from her own thoughts, and her boyfriend, who listens, learns, and loves her throughout everything. Many readers will connect with this raw, powerful portrait of a young person living with mental illness. Recommended for most YA collections."—School Library Journal"What’s most interesting is that underneath the journey and the mental illness and even the harrowing crash, this is at the core a love story, one that isn’t always pretty or even healthy but is absolutely memorable."—BCCB"Downes doesn’t cloak the depth of Nest’s suffering nor offer false promises about love’s ability to rescue or redeem."—Publishers WeeklyPraise for Fell of Dark:* “A stunning debut novel that offers sophisticated readers a glimpse into the psychological disintegration of two distinct characters.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review   * “[W]hether in an image or in a confused, despairing reaction to an incomprehensible world . . . Downes’s vision will connect into an epiphany.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review   * “Readers willing to sink into the depths of two unstrung teens and their frantic individual struggles to understand the cruelties and redemptions of the universe will be rewarded by this disarming, thought-provoking, and entrancing story.”—Booklist, starred review   “Here is a book built of darkness and gleam, of raw emotion and shattering poetry, of harrowing compulsions and zero compromise. Patrick Downes possesses blazing, beautiful, terrifying talent. His characters walk the shadows. His language bursts like sky.”—Beth Kephart, National Book Award nominee   “Luminous and pure. A masterwork of astonishing authority and beauty.”—Julie Berry, author of All the Truth That’s in Me

A book that challenges the word "powerful" and obliterates it Written in searing prose, this is the story of two boys: Erik, who performs miracles, and Thorn, who hears voices. The book chronicles their lives as their minds devolve into hallucinations, and shows the way their worlds intersect, culminating in a final stand-off. This debut novel offer a raw, insightful look at the forces that compel us to act against our will. Even more so, it captivates and dares us to look away, knowing full well we can''t. Praise for FELL OF DARK:* "Downes brilliantly plays with language and metaphor, and explores the dualities of sanity/insanity, beauty/ugliness, voice/voicelessness in a chilling echo of real incidents of school violence. A stunning debut novel that offers sophisticated readers a glimpse into the psychological disintegration of two distinct characters."--Kirkus Reviews *STARRED** "For many readers, this will be an impersonal but impressive work of literary art. But for some, serendipity will strike, whether in an image or in a confused, despairing reaction to an incomprehensible world, and Downes’s vision will connect into an epiphany."--Publishers Weekly *STARRED** "Readers willing to sink into the depths of two unstrung teens and their frantic individual struggles to understand the cruelties and redemptions of the universe will be rewarded by this disarming, thought-provoking, and entrancing story."--Booklist *STARRED*"Readers who are up for a literary challenge will find this dual narrative provocative, beautiful, and deeply sad."--BCCB “Here is a book built of darkness and gleam, of raw emotion and shattering poetry, of harrowing compulsions and zero compromise. Patrick Downes possesses blazing, beautiful, terrifying talent. His characters walk the shadows. His language bursts like sky.”—Beth Kephart, National Book Award nominee and author of Small Damages  “Luminous and pure. A masterwork of astonishing authority and beauty.”—Julie Berry, author of All the Truth That’s In MeFrom the Hardcover edition.