When Wren Abbott and Darra Monson were 8 years old, Darra's father stole a car, unaware that Wren was hiding in the back. Now 14, the girls are cabin mates at a summer camp in Michigan and face each other in person for the first time. Each has questions and hidden stories and emotions related to the event that changed both of their lives forever.
"This original blend of crime tale, psychological study, and friendship story is a page-turner...Wren's captivity in the garage is truly suspenseful, and the various interactions of the kids at the sleepover camp are a study in shifting alliances. The book also touches on some deeper issues, like how you can love a parent who is sometimes abusive, and how sensitive kids can blame themselves for things that aren't really their fault."[1]
"Hidden manages to be both a book of poetry and a wholly original story of two girls bound together by a singular, accidental crime."[2]
Of note:
145 pages, published in 2011
Written in free verse poetry (like 42 Miles, a 2012-2012 BES nominee).
Includes the author's explanation of the form and the hidden messages within the poetry
Written in first-person from both main characters' perspectives
Headings make it clear which character is speaking
On VOYA's "Perfect 10" list in 2011 (rated 5Q for quality "hard to imagine it better written," and 5P for popularity "every young adult who reads was dying to read it yesterday.")
Use the VOYA link to find other highly rated books
Helen Frost (scroll below the glog for additional resources)
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