The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves

In raw,poignant alternating first-person narrativesinterspersed with e-mailsgay chat-room exchangesand other fragments of a youth laid bare in the age of social mediaThe Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves unravels the mystery of a life in all its glory: despair and regrethumor and wondercourage and connection. A heartbroken and humiliated Ricky Graves took the life of a classmate and himself. Five months laterthe sleepy community is still in shock and mourning. Ricky’s sisterAlyssareturns to confront her shatteredwithdrawn mother and her guilt over the brother she left adrift. Mark McVitrythe lone survivor of the deadly outburst sparked by his own crueltyis tormented by visions of Ricky’s vengeful spirit. Ricky’s surrogate older brotherCorky Meeksgrapples with doubts about the fragile boy he tried to protect but may have doomed instead. And Jeremy Littlewho inadvertently became Ricky’s long-distance Internet crush despite never having metseeks to atone for failing to hear his friend’s cries for help. For those closest to the tormented killershock and grief have given way to soul searchingas they’re forced to confront their broken dreamsburied desiresand missed opportunities. And in their shared search for meaning and redemptionRicky’s loved ones find a common purpose: learning to trust their feelingsfighting for real intimacy in a world grown selfish and insincereand fearlessly embracing all that matters most…before it’s gone from their lives.