An expertly—and lovingly—narrated story about girls and bullying is told by the novel’s main character Miriam Fisher. She simply wants to be herself and live her life with passion and individuality—with a boyfriend who happens to be the hottest guy in town. This hottie, the senior Artie Rosenberg, is an aspiring actor moving into her house for a year while his parents do volunteer work in India. Miriam and Artie have a great time when the subject is poetry and drama—and the relationship. However, Artie becomes romantically involved with Deborah, Miriam’s sister, and this stirs up the bullies, some of whom are Deborah’s friends, to torture Miriam and call her “freak.” The persecution is frightening; the pain is real; the telling excruciating. But in the end, Miriam is transformed by an act so startling that readers will find themselves suddenly breathing again. Stunning. (Fiction. 12-15)
