Synopses & Reviews
When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt. A brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald's life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, Jordan Sparks, who abuses her, and from their mother, whose irresponsible behavior forces Gerald to work hard to keep the family together. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;As a teenager, Gerald finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, while Angel develops her talents as a dancer. Trouble still haunts them, however, and Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Sharon M. Draper has interwoven characters and events from her previous novel, Tears of a Tiger, in this unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends.
Review
“Draper creates believable and important heroes for teenage boys--those who are forged from adversity, only to burn more brightly and courageous.” < -="" i="" -=""> - Amazon.com - < -="" -="">
Review
“With non-stop excitement, this is well-written, easy to read, and possibly an inspiration for anyone trapped in family situations involving child abuse or domestic violence.” < -="" i="" -=""> - VOYA - < -="" -="">
Review
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Synopsis
Teenage Gerald, who has spent years protecting his fragile half-sister from their abusive father, faces the prospect of one final confrontation before the problem can be solved.
Synopsis
The flame of love burns bright in the second book of Sharon M. Draper's award-winning Hazelwood High trilogy. When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt, and a brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald's life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, who is abusing her.
Somehow Gerald manages to finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, and Angel develops her talents as a dancer, despite the trouble that still haunts them. And Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation.
In this second book of the Hazelwood High trilogy, Sharon M. Draper has woven characters and events from Tears of a Tiger in an unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends.
Synopsis
Will Gerald find the courage to stand up to his stepfather?
When his loving aunt dies, Gerald suddenly is thrust into a new home filled with anger and abuse. A brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes Gerald miserable, and the only light in his grim life is Angel, his young stepsister. Gerald and Angel grow close as he strives to protect her from Jordan, his abusive stepfather, and from their substance-addicted mother. But Gerald learns, painfully, that his post can't be extinguished, and that he must be strong enough to face Jordan in a final confrontation, once and for all....
Synopsis
A gritty, powerful debut that evokes The Outsiders. You won't be able to look away.
High school senior Jason knows how to take a punch. Living with an abusive father will teach a kid that. But hes also learned how to hit back, earning a reputation at school that ensures no one will mess with him. Even so, all Jason truly wants is to survive his father long enough to turn eighteen, take his younger sister, Janie, and run away.
Then one day, the leader of the in crowd at school, Michael, offers to pay Jason to hang out with him. Jason figures Michael simply wants to be seen with someone with a tough rep and that the money will add up fast, making Jasons escape plan a reality. Plus, theres Michaels girl, Cyndra, who looks at Jason as if she sees something behind his false smile. As Jason gets drawn deeper into Michaels game, the money keeps flowing, but the stakes grow ever more dangerous. Soon, even Jasons fists and his ability to think on his feet arent enough to keep his head above water.
Still Waters is an intense, gritty thriller that pulls no punchesyet leaves you rooting for the tough guy. A powerful, dynamic debut.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
About the Author
Sharon M. Draper is a andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author and recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. She has received the Coretta Scott King Award for both andlt;iandgt;Copper Sunandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Forged by Fireandlt;/iandgt;. Her andlt;iandgt;Out of My Mindandlt;/iandgt; has won multiple awards and has been a andlt;iandgt;New York Times andlt;/iandgt;bestseller for well over a year. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of the Year. Visit her at SharonDraper.com.