Punk 57

Punk 57

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas comes a captivating New Adult romance that is equal parts heartfelt, raw, and unforgettable. It begins with a pen-pal project in grade school an accidental pairing that turns into something extraordinary.

Misha thought it was just another school assignment when his teacher connected him with a student named Ryen from another school. With a name like “Misha,” Ryen’s teacher assumed he was a girl, while Misha’s teacher believed Ryen was a boy. Neither was correct. By the time they realized the mix-up, letters had already been exchanged, and something genuine had begun. What started as petty arguments about the best local pizza joint, whether Android or iPhone was superior, or if Eminem truly deserved the title of greatest rapper evolved into a bond that neither of them could deny.

For seven years, their correspondence became the anchor of their lives. Through countless black-paper letters written in silver ink, Ryen was the voice that kept Misha centered. Sometimes she would write once a week, sometimes several times a day, and Misha cherished every single word. She listened without judgment, challenged his opinions, and accepted every part of him both the light and the dark. Together, they built an unshakable rhythm, relying on each other without ever meeting face-to-face.

To protect what they had, they created three rules: no social media, no exchanging phone numbers, and no sharing pictures. Their connection felt pure, untainted by appearances or expectations. But when Misha stumbles across a photo online a girl named Ryen who loves Gallo’s pizza and can’t live without her iPhone he feels a spark of recognition that can’t be ignored. Against every rule they had set, curiosity pushes him to break the boundary. He decides he has to meet her. What he doesn’t anticipate is that the girl in his letters and the girl in real life may not be the same person at all. The Ryen he discovers is complicated, flawed, and perhaps not the girl he has idolized for years.

Meanwhile, Ryen is spiraling in Misha’s silence. It has been three months since she last heard from him, and the absence gnaws at her. Did something happen? Was he in trouble? With Misha’s reckless streak, she imagines every possibility jail, fights, even worse. The uncertainty leaves her unmoored. Misha had always been her confidant, the one who understood her when no one else did, and without him, her carefully balanced world begins to crumble.

Ryen regrets that she never asked for more his number, a photograph, something tangible to hold on to. Now, she is left with only his words on fading pages and the hope that he hasn’t disappeared forever. What she doesn’t realize is that Misha might be closer than she ever imagined, possibly even within arm’s reach. But proximity doesn’t necessarily mean recognition, and the lines between fantasy and reality are about to blur in the most unexpected and painful of ways.

Penelope Douglas delivers a story that burns with longing, secrets, and the dangerous truth of what happens when the person you’ve loved from afar turns out to be very different up close. With her trademark blend of passion, angst, and emotional intensity, this novel invites readers to question how well we can ever truly know someone, and whether love built in words can survive the shock of reality.