The New York Times bestselling author of Challenger Deep, Neal Shusterman, delivers a suspenseful, eloquent, and thrilling novel that you won't be able to stop thinking about after you've put it down.
Tennyson is not surprised, really, when his family begins to fall apart, or when his twin sister, Brontë, starts dating the misunderstood bully, Brewster (or The Bruiser, as the entire high school calls him). Tennyson is determined to get to the bottom of The Bruiser's reputation, even if it means gearing up for a fight. Brontë, on the other hand, thinks there's something special underneath that tough exterior. And she's right…but neither she nor Tennyson is prepared for the truth of what lies below the surface.
Told through Tennyson, Brontë, and Bruiser's points of view, this dark, twisting novel explores friendship, family, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love.
A Texas Lone Star Reading List selection
A Book Page Top Ten Book of the Year
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
A Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice
What if caring for someone could literally destroy you?
- Supernatural Empathy: Brewster isn’t a bully; he’s a lightning rod for pain. He takes on the physical and emotional wounds of anyone he cares about—a gift that might be a curse.
- Misunderstood Hero: Known as "The Bruiser," Brewster keeps everyone at a distance to protect them, and himself. But when Brontë gets close, his dangerous secret begins to unravel.
- Multiple Points of View: Told from the alternating perspectives of protective Tennyson, compassionate Brontë, and the tormented Brewster himself.
- Family Secrets: As their own parents’ marriage falls apart, the twins discover that Brewster’s family life is far more violent and terrifying than they could have imagined.
