Young Adult Crime

Aja Minor has led a life of misfortune. At birth, she was dropped and now sports a scar on her face from the resulting laceration. At the dawn of her adolescence, Aja discovers some unsettling effects she has on certain people. They get sick to their stomachs or recoil in pain in her presence. These episodes are accompanied by overwhelming bouts of self-consciousness. To Aja, these powers are a curse.

When 14-year-old Shaq is stabbed outside of a busy shopping centre in Manchester, three teenagers from very different walks of life are unexpectedly brought together. What follows flips their worlds upside down and makes Chantelle, Jackson and Marc question the deep-rooted prejudice and racism that exists within the police, the media and the rest of society.

Tiffany Templeton is tough. She dresses exclusively in black, buys leather jackets that are several sizes too big, and never backs down from a fight. She’s known in her tiny Montana town as Tough Tiff, and after her shoplifting arrest and a stint in a reform school, the nickname is here to stay. But when she comes back home, Tiffany may not be the same old Tough Tiff that everybody remembers. Her life is different now: Her mother keeps her on an even shorter leash than before, she meets with a probation officer once a month, and she’s still grieving her father’s recent death.

When Shawn and Daniel witness a gang beating behind the local mall they flee the scene, terrified that they've been seen. They recognize one of the attackers as a locally infamous gang member. When they learn that the kid who was attacked is in critical condition, Shawn wants to go to the police, but Daniel convinces him that they are in more danger if they speak up. The threats they receive from other members of the gang reinforce the boys' fears. When the gang attacks Daniel, Shawn has to put his own safety at risk to help his friend.

Mein Perso? Einkassiert. Meine Adresse? Gefühlt am Allerwertesten der Welt. Mein neuer Name? Nicht so schlimm wie Lieschen Müller, aber fast. Meine Freunde? Futsch, kein Kontakt erlaubt. Und nun? Geh ich halt diesem arroganten Personenschützer auf die Nerven. Süß aussehen tut er ja.