Hard-hitting, page-turning and celebratory of friendship in unlikely circumstances, Joyce Carol Oates' sure touch with small town life hits home in her first young adult novel.
Matt Donaghy is the class joker, and Ursula Riggs is the misfit loner. Neither knows the other. But when Matt is suddenly arrested on a charge of threatening to blow up the school and massacre the students, Ursula is the only one who sees through the hysteria and hypocrisy, and corroborates Matt's story.
The case is dropped, but Matt's old friends avoid him, and his teachers treat him with kid gloves. Even Ursula, apparently his only friend during the crisis, can't meet his eye. But Ursula can't remain aloof when she catches Matt contemplating suicide - and a strange friendship is born.
| ISBN: | 9780007145737 |
| Publication date: | 6th May 2003 |
| Author: | Joyce Carol Oates |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 272 pages |
| Genres: |
Children’s / Teenage fiction: Relationship stories Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Anxiety, depression and self-harm Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Bullying and harassment Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Truancy and school problems Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Suicide Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships Children’s / Teenage fiction: School stories |