Abandoned by her mother at Victoria Station in London when she is only four, Charlotte "Charlie" Collins is sent to live with her father in Dublin. Now fourteen, Charlie struggles to come to terms with the reasons for her mother's desertion, her father's silence, and the cruelty of her classmates.
When haunting memories and the threat of violence push Charlie to the brink of despair, a strange new friend helps her find the strength and courage to face her tormentors and free herself from her inner demons.
In this compelling story of desperation and hope, of betrayal and second chances, Maeve Friel depicts a tough young heroine who will command your admiration and respect.
Intense, disturbing, and deeply moving, Maeve Friel's book is a harrowing account of one girl's struggle to overcome her fears and turn her life around.
"Carefully developed characters and setting bring this story to life... The intensity of [the bullies'] attitudes and actions rival the evil in Lord of the Flies, only in civilization, not removed from it.... The story is compelling and thought provoking.... A good choice for booktalking." ?VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
"Friel has penned a masterful portrait of children's torment of other children and the bleak emotional landscape of a desperate young teen.... An extraordinary tale about the power that bullies wield, a bit reminiscent of Cormier's Chocolate War." ?Booklist
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