'Every school has one. They are ugly or fat. They have scars or acne or birthmarks. We are mean to them. We ridicule them. We don't want to stand near them or sit next to them. Perdita was one of those.' Megan is one of the leaders of the in-group. She wouldn't dream of talking to Perdita, 'the Freak'. But when they are thrown together in detention, she finds herself drawn into a spiky, challenging almost-friendship. Megan faces an uncomfortable truth: Perdita or the group? This sharply observed, unflinching story is about the ins and outs of girls' friendships, the power of words and poetry and the painful getting of wisdom.

 

There are 192 pages in this book. This book was published 2004 by Faber & Faber .

Alyssa Brugman This is a first novel by this talented young writer who was shortlisted for the Australian Vogel Literary Award.