Super Short Summary

In Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron, eighteen-year-old James Sveck faces uncertainty about his future after graduating from high school. Preferring solitude and dreaming of a life in the Midwest over attending Brown University, he grapples with social connections, guilt from a prank on his supervisor, and reflections on his past trauma. The story navigates his mental health struggles and gradual self-discovery. The novel discusses trauma related to the events of 9/11.