From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins comes a new heartbreaking young adult novel in verse about twins separated in the foster care system and the different paths their lives take.
Seventeen-year-old twins Storm and Lake have always been in perfect sync. They faced the worst a parent could do and survived it together. In the wake of their mother's rejection, they've spent the last five years moving from foster home to foster home—sometimes placed together, sometimes apart.
After being separated from his sister once again, Storm is devastated. He's the older brother and promised to always take care of Lake. But after a stint in juvie, his newest placement has him feeling almost hopeful. His foster dad is kind, and his girlfriend, Jaidyn, is the first person other than Lake he feels he can trust. But when Jaidyn is sexually assaulted by a violent ex, it pushes Storm over the edge. He retaliates and lands back in lockup—and he fears this time it will be for good. He wishes he could talk to Lake, but he doesn't know where she is, and he' s now feeling more alone and out of sync than ever before.
Lake, like Storm, has found her own happiness in a relationship with someone new—her fellow foster, Parker. Life with Parker is never boring, but Parker has her own scars. She can be withdrawn and unpredictable, and that can be dangerous, especially after Parker convinces Lake to run away from their Bible-thumping fosters after they are caught in a compromising position. With no money, shelter, or ID, they're living on the streets. Lake thinks of Storm and his promise to take care of her, and wonders where he could be now.
Told in dual perspectives through unsent letters, at turns heartbreaking and always honest, this latest novel in verse from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins is a searing and unforgettable account of two teens caught in the teeth of the foster care system, fighting their way out and back to each other.
"Twins Storm and Lake, 17, have been tossed from one foster home to the next …[Their] stories are told through undelivered letters the two write to each other. Written in true Hopkins style, these verses pack a punch… Their captivating voices make it all the more heartbreaking…This story is highly accessible and will be devoured by realistic fiction readers." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"A gritty, powerful novel in verse...poignant, unflinching...the narrative doesn't shy away from portraying the harsh realities of a broken foster care system. A wrenching and necessary read." —Kirkus Reviews
"Hopkins (People Kill People) employs her signature grit and compelling verse to deliver a wrenching interpretation of the foster care system...Told through letters and mental musings to each other, this haunting read weaves together instances of trauma, violence, homelessness, incarceration, and sexual assault that the siblings experience during their childhood and adolescence as they try to make their way back to each other; glimmers of kindness and love sometimes provide bright spots to their bleak reality." —Publishers Weekly
"Storm and Lake share Hopkins' signature lucid free-verse narrative, and while the events are heartrending, terrible, and too frequent, their resilience shows, even when they are at their lowest points…Hopkins is a household name in the YA literary world, and her many fans will be eager to get their hands on her latest offering." —Booklist
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