Moral victories don't solve public health crises. Money does.
After years of poor water quality, Gavin fears his town, Pondville, is one burst pipe away from losing access to safe drinking water forever.
Demoralized, Gavin and his best friend MacKenzie turn to his estranged father, a board member of the infamous water company CrispFlow. CrispFlow is known for giving out grants to improve public facilities, but they've also been buying and privatizing cities' failing water systems, often leaving those towns' situations worse than they found them. Gavin wouldn't trust CrispFlow to privatize their water, but with his father on the board and Gavin and Mack interning at town hall, he might just be able to walk away with the grant money instead. Gavin's dad agrees to rig the grant process if Gavin and MacKenzie sabotage the competition to help CrispFlow win an infrastructure bid. It's not above board, but everybody wins, as long as no one gets caught . . .
"Readers interested in water justice and youth activism will be fully invested in Pondville's struggles with safe drinking water." ---School Library Journal
"A queer teen confronts the messy realities of activism and family in this sobering [...] exploration of accountability, advocacy, and hope."
―PW reviews
"A nuanced take on protest culture, perfect for fans of morally grey characters, complicated dilemmas, and messy family dynamics, with a teen activist who is as deep, complex, and potentially toxic as the water problems that plague his town."
―Elias Cold, author of Selkies & Skeptics
"For the Greatest Good explores questions of environmental justice in a searingly honest way, with a protagonist you can't help but love. For a deep dive into the safe drinking water crisis plaguing many towns, look no further."
―Karen Myna Cantor, author of Alex, By Proxy
"A nuanced, character-driven reflection on community, integrity, and long-term commitment." ―Kirkus Reviews
Blair Hanson is the author of America's Not-So-Sweetheart. In his free time, Blair enjoys falling down Wikipedia wormholes and cuddling with the world's most adorable (and neediest) cats. He's from the East Coast.
