I read the summary for this book on the inside flap. It didn't grab my interest. As I sat down to start reading, I anticipating a boring book I would not be drawn into. I should have known better. It's a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers for a reason! I was taken aback when I actually found myself enjoying the story.
Matilda, pardon me, Matt, is 14- years old and has all ready lived through more than any adult would care to even think about. She grew up with an an alcohol-abusing father who would also abuse her and her mother. From the young age of 4 or 5, Matt has memories of crouching under her bed and cowering with her mother to escape her father's anger. It only works for so long. Eventually, her father kills her mother and Matt is on her way to numerous "foster" homes with distant family members. Ultimately, she winds up with Sam and Jessica; two Quakers living in Pennsylvania. She enrolls in Franklin High School and is placed in AP classes for the first time in her life. She sees this as an escape. She can graduate early and move to Canada in order to escape her past. All she has to do is avoid detection on anyone's radar and avoid any sort of emotional connections. That'll make leaving easier. Unfortunately, the town is in turmoil over the war in Iraq. Living with Quakers, Matt is a sitting duck for the bullies (teachers included) such as the Rat and the Vermin (as she calls them). Against her will, Matt finds herself drawn into the family of Sam, Jessica and their adopted son, Rory. She starts to care. That caring helps her overcome her fear of confrontation and find her place in the world.
This book had the capability of being very predictable. A standard hard-case loved straight story. Although the ending was what I expected, the story itself was very well written and enjoyable.
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