Julian Drew “lives” with his father, his abusive stepmother and her children, but it’s not a life anyone would want. He buys his first NB on October 25 at Osco Drug in Tucson. Green spiral. 80 pages. 34 lines per page. He tries to write but his pen won’t cooperate. Then he develops a secret code. Mysterious notebooks record his fight for survival and recovery. Gripping and poignant, this story will hook readers from the first page.
"A challenging and oddly compelling story of an abused teenager who fights a heroic battle to deal with his mother's death and to survive the mistreatment of one of the most vicious stepmothers in all of literature. . . . All of the characters, even the most minor, are surprisingly vivid and real." --School Library Journal, starred School Library Journal, Starred
"With an inventive vision, Deem present a hard-edged tale of abuse and recovery." -- Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews
"A powerful and gripping survival story." --Horn Book Horn Book
