Fourteen-year-old Zach searches for belonging and acceptance in a small Kansas town. His father is a street preacher, his mother a social recluse, and he a hopeless introvert. At school students make fun of him, and a bully named Darius threatens to beat him up. After finally deciding to stand up for himself, Zach learns that Darius has disappeared and has been suffering domestic abuse at the hands of his father. Ultimately, Zach joins forces with the kids who used to torment him in order to save the guy who once pushed him around. This decision propels Zach into a world of unknown danger. Far from home, he embarks on a desperate race to keep away from Darius’s maniacal father.
Coming of Age, Search for Meaning, Young Adult.
Word Count 50,000
RL Martin 