One For Sorrow is the first novel by Christopher Barzak. It’s about a teenage boy named Adam who forges an unlikely bond with a reclusive boy at school named Jamie.
Shortly afterward, Jamie’s body is discovered by the train tracks in the nearby woods, and he appears to Adam in the form of a ghost. Adam decides he wants to keep being friends with Jamie, even though he’s dead.
The synopsis for One For Sorrow compares this book to The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. But Adam doesn’t resemble Holden Caulfield at all. I also didn’t find Adam very relatable, which made me feel detached from this book.
Adam’s inner monologue is extremely repetitive. I felt like I was reading the same content over and over again. It also seems like there are some awkward homosexual stirrings between Adam and Jamie, which unfortunately, comes across as just plain weird.
One For Sorrow becomes even more dark and troubled when you find out what the boys have in common. I didn’t love this book, but I’d be open to reading other books by this author.
Christopher Barzak has also written:
- The Love We Share Without Knowing (2008)
- Wonders of the Invisible World (2015)
- The Gone Away Place (2018)
What did you think about One For Sorrow?
Last Updated on January 27, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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