Somewhere, Anywhere | Kaden Ptasznik
When the World You Know Shatters, Where Do You Go to Find Yourself? For Axel, the Answer Is Anywhere but Here.
Somewhere, Anywhere follows Axel, a high school senior grappling with an unknown tragedy that upends his life. Feeling lost and needing to escape, Axel sets out on an impulsive road trip to the Grand Canyon, joined by his best friend, Lilly. As they journey from Kansas to Arizona, the open road becomes a backdrop for memories that shape their unbreakable bond — moments from middle school lunches to high school adventures, each flashback revealing the depth of their friendship.
But the road isn’t just about the past.
It’s also about the present — a series of impulsive decisions, from stealing a candy bar to getting into a bar fight, all pushing Axel closer to the edge of something he can’t quite face. Lilly tries to keep their spirits up, but tension simmers as they approach their destination. As they reach the Grand Canyon, Axel is forced to confront a heart-wrenching truth, one that will change everything he thought he knew about his best friend, his journey, and himself.
In this tale of friendship, loss, and self-discovery, Somewhere, Anywhere takes readers on a moving journey across both the physical and emotional landscapes, reminding us that sometimes the hardest trip is the one we take within.