I have just finished reading a heartfelt story by Deborah Davis and I know I would never forget it. In Not Like You, Kayla Hanes and her mother, Marilyn, move to New Mexico to start all over again.

Marilyn promises to quit drinking and get a job. But this has happened many times before, making it hard for Kayla to trust her again. To make it worse for them, she seems to depend on her daughter who thinks she is having an affair with the landlord. When she was a teenager herself, she walked out of her mother’s life. Could her main girl do the same to her?

Doubting her mother to work for their needs, Kayla starts making her own business of walking and training dogs. It happens that one of the dogs she walks is owned by Remy, a musician who seems interested in her and her poetry. Kayla finds solace and comfort in Remy’s company. But with nine years between their ages, could it work between them?

Deborah Davis addressed the struggles teenagers who live with single parents face. At the same time, she took notice of the common problems between parents and children, making this book relatable even to those who have both parents.

I bought a copy of Not Like You in a secondhand-book store for a few coins. But I believe that the lesson this book has taught me is worth more than a bar of gold. I recommend this book to teenagers and parents alike.