After winning a prestigious writing contest sponsored by Father Mark, a well-known priest and successful author, seventeen-year-old Olivia is honored by the recognition and flattered by the man’s interest in her work. But as time passes, Father Mark’s attention and expectations begin to feel more like a burden than appropriate mentorship. Olivia grows uncomfortable with increasingly unwanted attention as his early support turns to relentless interest: daily phone calls, emails, letters, appointments, invitations, and unannounced visits, as well as demands around reading and writing assignments. Unable to share her concerns with friends and family, who are thrilled that famous Father Mark is so personally involved in her writing career, Olivia struggles to acknowledge that the man for whom she had so much respect has become an obsessive and frightening stalker. The quiet support of Sister June, a perceptive high school teacher, and her friends and family when she finally reveals what’s been happening, empowers Olivia to confront the abusive behaviors of Father Mark, and a burgeoning romance with a fellow summer school student hints of a hopeful future for her. This compelling portrait of a naive teenager masterfully manipulated by a powerful adult captures Olivia’s self-doubt assessing Father Mark’s actions. (Age 14 and older)

A CHILLING NOVEL ABOUT THE ISOLATION OF BEING STALKED AND THE ABUSE OF POWER.

Olivia Peters is over the moon when her literary idol, the celebrated novelist and muchadored local priest Mark D. Brendan, offers to become her personal writing mentor. But when Father Mark's enthusiasm for Olivia's prose develops into something more, Olivia's emotions quickly shift from wonder to confusion to despair. Exactly what game is Father Mark playing, and how on earth can she get out of it?

This remarkable novel about overcoming the isolation that stems from victimization is powerful, luminous, and impossible to put down.

A 2010 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
A 2011 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A 2011 CCBC Choice