Meet Jordy. He’s on his own in New York City. Nobody to depend on; nobody depending on him. And it’s been working fine.
Until this girl comes along. She’s 18 and blond and pretty–her world should be perfect. But she’s seen things no one should ever see in their whole life–the kind of things that break a person. She doesn’t seem broken, though. She seems . . . innocent. Like she doesn’t know a whole lot. Only sometimes she does.
The one thing she knows for sure is that the world is an ugly place. Now her life may depend on Jordy proving her wrong. So they hit the road to discover the truth–and there’s no going back from what they find out.
This deeply felt, redemptive novel reveals both the dark corners and hidden joys of life’s journey–and the remarkable resilience of the human soul.
There isn't an official synopsis but this is how Catherine, herself, describes it:
Elle is a barely 16-year-old girl whose mom dumps her into her own apartment (in Manhattan, yet) because mom’s new boyfriend doesn’t want to deal with a teenager. She’s never been very well listened to, and has lived her life as a loner. To make matters worse, she has to start over in a new school.
The morning of her first school day, she shaves off 95% of her hair as an act of rage against her mother, who is obsessed with beauty. And by the end of the day, Elle’s locker has been spray-painted with the ugly and threatening word “queer.”
Alone and scared, she’s ripe to fall in love with the first guy who pays the slightest bit of attention to her. That turns out to be Frank, her new next door neighbor. He’s a lot older, and in a long-term relationship, but she loves him anyway. She loves him even though she knows they won’t end up together. She loves him no matter what.
And then she finds out he’s transgender. Female to male, in transition. When the shock wears off, Elle is a little surprised to learn that she loves Frank just the same. The feelings are a little more uncomfortable now. But they haven’t gone away. Instead, they stay on to force Elle to reexamine the meaning of friendship and, of course, herself.
What you can win:
- a signed copy of Becoming Chloe
- a signed advance readers copy of Jumpstart the World
Two books, One winner!
Official Contest information:
- to enter, please fill out the form below
- entrants must be 13 years of age or older
- contest deadline is August 20, 2010
- contest open to EVERYONE*
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