Pajama Press

The first time I heard the word introversion was the first time I recognized myself. Like, there was a category for me.

Nix Humbolt doesn’t talk much. Though at fifteen he’s taller and leaner than in his “Fatty Humbolt” days, he still lies low at school. At home Nix finds refuge in his father’s workshop where he builds intricate boxes and tables—and avoids arguments with his polar-opposite older sister. Roxy is so alive the air around her vibrates. Nix would slay ten dragons for her, but she drives him crazy—especially when she decides to go after Bryan Sykes. The guy is seriously toxic, but Roxy won’t listen, so what can Nix do? The only battles he ever fights are on his Xbox—until the day he finds the guts to fight for Swiff Dunphy’s neglected dog. Twig won’t win any beauty contests, but Nix is determined to save her. And when things start to spiral out of control, she might just be the one who saves him.

A powerful YA novel by the multi-award-winning Jill MacLean.

Awards and Honours:
2015 CBC Books 100 YA Books That Make You Proud To Be Canadian
2014 Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children’s Literature winner
2014 CLA Young Adult Book Award finalist
2014 White Ravens selection
2014 Bank Street Best Book
2014 OLA Forest of Reading White Pine Award nominee
2014 SYRCA Snow Willow Award nominee
2013 Publishers Weekly “Best New Books” selection
2013 Resource Links “The Year’s Best” selection
2013 OLA Best Bet
2013 Best Books for Kids & Teens Starred Selection

Reviews:
“Well-crafted and intense, an engrossing family drama in which both young and old learn what it means to grow up.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Writing with careful, evocative language, MacLean explores love in myriad forms…”—Publishers Weekly

“Readers used to a diet of cliché-ridden YA fiction will enjoy this refreshing take on the teenage plight…”—School Library Journal

“The novel’s strength comes from the authenticity of Nix’s emotional evolution…This is an absorbing, emotionally resonant book.”—Quill & Quire

“At the heart of the novel…is Nix’s complex, push-pull relationship with his older, rebellious sister, Roxy, and the tender bond he forms with a neglected guard dog.”—Booklist

“MacLean has produced another wonderful novel. She is to be applauded for respecting her readership and refusing to shy away from difficult topics…Highly Recommended.”—CM Magazin

“The story is complex and engaging, and the deep themes make this an excellent novel for study and discussion.”—Canadian Children’s Book News

“…an exceptional novel that is not to be missed.”—The Winnipeg Free Press

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