A powerful and devastatingly honest story from a prize-winning author. This is the story of how thirteen year old Linda came to be involved in the murder of one man and the suicide of another. Living with her wayward mother, it's up to Linda to care for first one, then two younger brothers. As her mother moves from job to job and man to man, Linda finds herself growing up in a world where her vulnerability is no match for the endless abuse that leaves her with a wisdom and bitterness far beyond her years. Compelling, distressing, powerful and shocking, this is Linda's account of the facts. Facts that reveal a startling and unforgettable heroine whose deceptively simple narrative voice makes for the most incredible novel. A moving and brutal tale of an extraordinary girl you will never forget.

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

There are 160 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2003 by Pan Macmillan .

Brock Cole is an award-winning children's author as well as a noted artist and illustrator. Born in a small town in Michigan, he now lives in Buffalo, New York.