Soft Spots

Raven Leilani’s Luster meets Halle Butler’s The New Me in Soft Spots, a darkly funny and off-kilter coming-of-age novel about a recent college graduate who runs away from her family—only to be forced to reconsider everything when her father’s health suddenly declines.

After unexpectedly landing a teaching job at a dysfunctional high school, Robin Clarke moves to South Bend, Indiana, where she is paired with an eerily perfect roommate named Naomi. Newly estranged from her abusive parents, Robin fixates on two ambitious goals: becoming the best teacher at the school despite having no experience, and turning Naomi—her complete opposite—into her best friend. Back home, Robin’s brother is caught between loyalty to his sister and loyalty to their parents.

Just as Robin begins to grow closer to both her students and Naomi, devastating news from her brother threatens to upend the fragile life she has built. Desperate to cope, Robin doubles down on her obsession with Naomi, pushing herself deeper into self-sabotage.

When one of Robin’s many bad decisions finally catches up with her, she is forced to confront the limits of forgiveness, the burden of memory, and the true cost of cutting yourself off from the people who shaped you.