Emotional Life Teen

Martha, the youngest daughter of fanatically religious parents, is all too aware that her family is unusual. Taunted and bullied at school, and lonely at home with only postcards from her elder sister to keep her sane, Martha knows there has to be some other way of living. But it is only when she is befriended by the new boy, Scott, that she decides to reveal the terrible secret that has so far kept her in emotional chains.

On February 22, 1853, 15-year-old Niels Nelson is prepared to be executed on Gallows Hill. The master carpenter comes to measure Niels for his coffin. The master baker bakes bread for the spectators. The messenger posts the notice of execution in the town square. The poet prepares his best pen to record the events as they unfold. A fly, Niels' only companion in the cell, buzzes. A dog hovers by his young master's window. A young girl hovers, too, pitying the boy. The executioner sharpens his blade.

Gardner Dickinson is almost 15, and his life is a mess. His bedroom is littered with library books he never reads. He daydreams about building muscles, but never gets around to it. Worst of all, his recently laid-off dad is more interested in playing golf than finding a new job. But one day life starts to click for Gardner. He finishes a few of those library books, begins running after school and starts earning some spare cash - and those muscles he’s craved - by splitting wood for the neighbors.

Paige, cheerleading captain at Southside High, and Ty, star running back, appear to be the perfect couple. But when they have their first fight, Ty screams at Paige. Paige is shocked and afraid, but Ty apologizes. Then, after losing a game, Ty goes ballistic and hits Paige. Ty is arrested for assault. Even after this, she secretly meets up with Ty. But can Paige be with someone she's afraid of? What's worse - flinching every time your boyfriend gets angry or being alone?

Genius girl, Bounce, and her two drifter sidekicks, Wiggins and Orange, are holding the Frog hostage. As the stakes grow higher and the guilt and tension mount, Wiggins begins to question his complicity and must choose where his loyalties lie. Not for the faint of heart, Adam Rapp’s mesmerizing narrative told in alternating viewpoints ventures deep into disturbing territory. A powerful, unforgettable story.