The Saddest Girl on the Beach

“A metaphor-rich, coming-of-age, contemporary novel about finding your equilibrium while experiencing overwhelming grief.”—Booklist

"Frese takes us into depths of love, loss, and grief that can only come from first-hand knowledge...The intimacy and detail scribed in every scene and in every sentence portray a breathtaking landscape that readers understand to be a balm to a weary soul."—Southern Review of Books

“Hypnotic, beautiful, and as unpredictable as the waves themselves on the spit of Hatteras Island. Readers will fall in love with Charlotte and Evie, whose love story is as deep as any romance . . . the perfect beach read.”—Michele Young-Stone, Lost in the Beehive and Above Us Only Sky

“A moving meditation on grief and the forces that both pull people together and tear them apart. The coastal setting is so rich and beautifully rendered, you can practically hear the waves, a rhythm that mirrors the highs and lows of loss and love.”—Jill McCorkle, Old Crimes and Hieroglyphics

“A story of hard-earned hope. These pages quickly feel like home, or a Carolina beach you’re never ready to leave.”—James Tate Hill, Blind Man’s Bluff

“A must-read for anyone navigating the loss of a parent at a young age. A must-read for anyone with a heart."—Laura Carney, My Father's List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free

"Frese debuts with an impressive examination of small-town island life in coastal North Carolina...dynamic structure and strong voice...Readers will find lots to love."―Publishers Weekly

“This sun-and-salt-kissed coming-of-age story reads like a wry, honest chat with a close friend.”―Jaclyn Fulwood, Shelf Awareness

“Frese’s debut is a snappy novel with a relatable character that will resonate with readers.”―LynnDee Wathen, Booklist

"The Baddest Girl on the Planet is set on an island known as the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic' for all the shipwrecks it’s caused, which feels just right: the novel is about, among other things, the islands―both literal and metaphorical―where we feel stranded; the wrecks we cause or find ourselves marooned by. In The Baddest Girl on the Planet, Heather Frese explores some of the most tender spots of what it is to be human: how to come to terms with our choices, how to grow and change in a place that seems to want us to stay the same, and what it means to call a place (or another person) home."―Maggie Smith, author of Good Bones and You Could Make This Place Beautiful

"Heather Frese has written a coming-of-age story like no other―with a fiercely original narrative voice that's funny, brave, honest, and occasionally terrifying . . . in fact, compulsively readable!"―Lee Smith, author of Blue Marlin and The Last Girls