The Secret to Belonging by Freeman, Megan E.

Three starred reviews!

A neglected teen travels to Norway for a fresh start in this "lush...aching" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) coming-of-age novel in verse about longing, love, and the courage to create joy from the ashes of despair by award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Megan E. Freeman.

You are invisible in your own family. Your parents spend all their care and attention on your brother, who is addicted to drugs. Your dreams don't matter to anyone but you.

Your only ticket out is a college fund left by your grandfather--until your parents use it to pay for your brother's drug rehab.

Just when your future seems about to collapse, you are offered a lifeline: a scholarship to become an exchange student in a remote part of Norway. It's an invitation to begin a new life in a new place with new people...a place where you might finally feel like you belong.

Author: Megan E. Freeman
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 09/15/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 8.48h x 5.77w x 1.18d
ISBN: 9781665988407

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/01/2026
School Library Journal 06/01/2026 pg. 95
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2026
Booklist 09/01/2026

About the Author
Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week, and she has been a writer ever since. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students of all ages. She divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast. Visit her online at MeganEFreeman.com.