Reviewed by R. Yelk, February 2021
In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents. Peter’s parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes.
Fair warning that this book touches on many sensitive topics including drug/alcohol abuse, school shootings, teen pregnancy, and many more. I would recommend this book to an older teenager who likes realistic fiction with lots of drama, since that's what this book is.