Critically-acclaimed author Leah Thomas blends a small-town setting with the secrets of a long-ago crime, in a compelling novel about breaking free from the past....

Critically-acclaimed author Leah Thomas blends a small-town setting with the secrets of a long-ago crime, in a compelling novel about breaking free from the past.

In Samsboro, Kentucky, Kalyn Spence's name is inseparable from the brutal murder her father committed when he was a teenager. Forced to return to town, Kalyn must attend school under a pseudonym . . . or face the lingering anger of Samsboro's citizens, who refuse to forget the crime.

Gus Peake has never had the luxury of redefining himself. A Samsboro native, he's either known as the disabled kid because of his cerebral palsy, or as the kid whose dad was murdered. Gus just wants to be known as himself.

When Gus meets Kalyn, her frankness is refreshing, and they form a deep friendship. Until their families' pasts emerge. And when the accepted version of the truth is questioned, Kalyn and Gus are caught in the center of a national uproar. Can they break free from a legacy of inherited lies and chart their own paths forward?

Author: Leah Thomas
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Published: 06/04/2019
Pages: 448
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.80w x 1.80d
ISBN: 9781547600021
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 04/15/2019 pg. 52
Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2019
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 05/01/2019
School Library Journal 05/01/2019 pg. 107
Voice of Youth Advocates 08/01/2019 - Recommended - Better Than Most

About the Author
Leah Thomas frequently loses battles of wits against her students and her stories. When she's not huddled in cafes, she's usually at home pricking her fingers in service of cosplay. Leah lives in San Diego, California and is the author of When Light Left Us, Nowhere Near You, and the William C. Morris YA Debut Award finalist, Because You'll Never Meet Me