|
WINNER of the 2017 Red Maple Award
WINNER of the 2017 John Spray Mystery Award 2018 Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award -- Honour Book 2016 Best Books for Kids & Teens -- starred choice 2017 Arthur Ellis Award for Excellence in Crime Writing -- Finalist 2017 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award -- Finalist A lockdown catches five grade 12 students by surprise and throws them together in the only unlocked room on that empty third floor wing: the boy's washroom. They sit in silence, judging each other by what they see, by the stories they've heard over the years. Stuck here with them -- could anything be worse?
There's Alice: an introverted writer, trapped in the role of big sister to her older brother, Noah. Noah: a non-verbal student with autism whose well ordered world has been turned upside down Isabelle: the popular, high-achieving, student council president, whose greatest performance is her everyday life. Hogan: an ex-football player with a troubled past and a hopeless future. Xander: that socially awkward guy hiding behind the camera, whose candid pictures of school life, especially those of Isabelle, have brought him more trouble than answers. Told in five unique voices through prose, poetry, text messages, journals, photographs, and homework assignments — each student reveals pieces of their true story as they wait for the drill to end. The others listen, reluctantly at first, and soon realize they can relate. But this modern day Breakfast Club takes a twist when Isabelle gets a text that changes everything: NOT A DRILL!! Shooter in the school! Suddenly, the bathroom doesn't seem so safe anymore. Especially when they learn that one of them knows more about the shooter than they realized. |
