The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will.

The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will is the second book by Maya MacGregor. I have already read her first book The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester which I enjoyed.

The Blurb

Will, an agender teen, struggles with the haunting aftermath of parental abuse as they forge a new life and love in this novel that is perfect for fans of If These Wings Could Fly and Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

Will is a 17-year-old on the cusp of freedom: freedom from providing and caring for their abusive, addicted mother, freedom from their small town with an even smaller mindset, and freedom from hiding who they are.

This utterly captivating read takes us on a journey with Will from their drug dealer mother dying months before their 18th birthday, haunting last words and a threatening past catching up with Will.

But how do you start a new life, reconnect with family, embark on a new love and put your past behind you when it feels like you are destroying everything you touch?

My Review of The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will

This is a Young Adult book and perfect for Pride Month.

The first thing you note is the way the book is written in second person, which is quite unusual for a novel. I remember books like this when I was younger, or reading to my kids, where you choose your own adventure, but without the turn to page ** after a selection of decisions to make. It took some getting used to, but it was very cleverly written.

Will is agender, and lives with their alcoholic mother who abandoned them many years before but then claimed them back. It starts with the mother dying just before Will’s 18th birthday. Can they make it until they come of age without the authorities finding out?

Will also misses their foster mother, Raz who was going to adopt them just before they were taken back by their mother. Can they find her and get the help they need?

Then there are Will’s friends, Hannah and Matt, two siblings who have had very different lives to Will but are there for them. And, then Will meets Julian who they form an instant connection with, and they are looking for Raz too.

The book has plenty of twists and turns, with lots of other stuff going on as well as being a coming of age story. Altogether a really interesting read and I’d be happy to read more from Maya McGregor. Maybe something set in the UK would be nice.

The two books are not connected and you do not have to read either one first.