Jessie Constable has learned the hard way to always keep herself safe. But meeting Gus King changes everything. Before she knows it, Jessie is sleeping at Gus's house, babysitting his kids, becoming a part of his family. And yet, she can't ignore the unsettling questions. Who does she keep seeing from the corner of her eye? Why are strange men threatening her? Most importantly, what really happened to Gus's wife?

Sophie is in a lot of trouble. She is on probation for stealing and is doing poorly at school. Her mom doesn't really talk to her, and the other adults in her life are pressuring Sophie to talk about her bruises. Sophie worries that if she tells, she will be sent to live in a group home. Her friend Jujube is the only person who knows the truth, and now Jujube, too, wants Sophie to speak up.

"While other adolescent girls are listening to grunge rock or swooning over boy bands, Loretta knows little of life beyond the Home for Wayward Girls, the secluded ranch where her parents run a program designed to "correct" teen girls' "bad behavior." Loretta witnesses firsthand how the adults use abusive discipline to crush these young women's spirits and break their wills. Since childhood she's been afraid of her father, and avoids him by spending...