Kirjahaku

The 2nd Novel from best-selling YA author Vicky Ball.Maddie has spent a lifetime struggling alone with her alcoholic mother. Her unpredictable behaviour and unreliability makes Maddie wish she had someone who actually cared about her. Tired of being the responsible one and the person who keeps it all together, Maddie longs for a life she'll never have. Her mother's constant thoughtless actions lead to difficulties on more than one occasion and the unwelcome presence of her Mum's boyfriend, Nick, only adds more stress to her life. The last thing she needs is a man in the house who doesn't know how to behave. But that all changes when Maddie discovers the real reason why her Mum drinks. Thrown into a confusing world of secrets and family that she's never met, Maddie discovers that there is more to life than her world. Could a girl she has never met have the answers? As she figures out how she fits into it all, she embarks on a pursuit of truth. Through the uncovering of more shocking realities, Maddie questions her true identity. Can she ever move past all the lies and find the truth? More importantly, will she ever find someone who will love her like a real family should?

The #1 YA best-seller that went viral.Beth has it all: a grammar school education, a stay at home mother who dotes on her, a father who works hard on his own business, and a little sister who adores her. But when an older man takes an interest in her, the innocence she once had is slowly ripped away from her. A few days before Christmas, aged fifteen, she disappears leaving her parents wondering what happened. Seven years later, Abby, her younger sister, still has no idea what went on, not even knowing if she is still alive or not. When pink haired, skinny Beth turns up out of the blue on Christmas Eve, life starts to take a turn for the worse. Now a teenager herself Abby barely recognises this stranger, remembering the happy moments they had shared years ago. Waking up on Christmas Day with a half decorated tree and no presents, Abby feels like her life has been invaded by an alien. Beth won't talk about it but when a strange man keeps texting her and nightmares disturb her sleep, Abby knows it is not good news. Frustrated because everyone keeps saying it is too complicated, she is tired of explaining that she is not a little kid anymore. If she knew who this man was she might be able to help but she can't imagine the horrors that Beth wants to spare her of.In a world away from their comfortable life, Abby begins to see snippets of Beth's broken life and the men who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. With her parents' marriage on the brink of collapse, Abby wonders what happened to their carefree life before and whether life will ever return to normality.