Determined to stop his twin sister, Brontë, from dating the kid known as “Bruiser” at their high school, Tennyson finds himself drawn into Brewster’s life instead. Brewster and his younger brother, Cody, live with their uncle, who doesn’t like Brewster making friends. After seeing Brewster’s bruised and ravaged back, Tennyson is sure Brewster is the victim of abuse. As it turns out, Brewster’s uncle has never hit him, but the truth is more unsettling. Tennyson figures it out slowly: Brewster comes to his lacrosse game and Tennyson plays without pain. Brontë twists her ankle but Brewster is the one limping. Brewster comes to their house and the suppressed rage between Tennyson and Brontë’s parents, whose relationship has been on the brink of implosion, dissipates, along with the twins’ own sadness and uncertainty about their family. Despite Brewster’s obvious suffering, Tennyson finds the feeling of well-being addictive, and it’s not long before he’s unwilling to live without it. Neal Shusterman’s tense and masterful novel is told in sections alternating between Tennyson, Brontë, Brewster, and Cody’s voices. Through the sharply funny and observant narratives of Tennyson and Brontë, Brewster’s spare torment, and Cody’s innocent wisdom, Shusterman explores human nature in a fascinating and ultimately transcendent story. (Age 14 and older)

The New York Times bestselling author of Challenger Deep, Neal Shusterman, delivers a suspenseful, eloquent, and thrilling novel that you won't be able to stop thinking about after you've put it down.  

Tennyson is not surprised, really, when his family begins to fall apart, or when his twin sister, Brontë, starts dating the misunderstood bully, Brewster (or The Bruiser, as the entire high school calls him). Tennyson is determined to get to the bottom of The Bruiser's reputation, even if it means gearing up for a fight. Brontë, on the other hand, thinks there's something special underneath that tough exterior. And she's right…but neither she nor Tennyson is prepared for the truth of what lies below the surface.

Told through Tennyson, Brontë, and Bruiser's points of view, this dark, twisting novel explores friendship, family, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love.

A Texas Lone Star Reading List selection
A Book Page Top Ten Book of the Year
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
A Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice