Description
Four delinquent teens are inadvertently pulled into a criminal investigation that challenges their deepest values and misconceptions.
Poor choices land four outlier teens in summer-time mandatory community service. Deemed good-for-nothing by those who judge, they label themselves The Nothing Club. After inadvertently setting a grass fire with fireworks, Grady is the first to arrive for community service, followed by the walled and tattooed Margaret, the genius Nikki, and the animal-loving Free Throw, who subsequently meet the I-wish-I-were-invisible concession girl, Catherine.
The teens are supervised by the philanthropic and diabetic widow Mrs. Stafford and her maintenance man, Reg - a non-judgmental mentor with an unconventional approach to rehabilitation. But when a small child and Catherine go missing Reg is the prime suspect. The teens are determined to exonerate him and find their missing friend but their well-meaning efforts lead them further into the activities similar to those that landed them in community service in the first place.
Fast-paced and energetic, the novel is told from 15-year-old Grady's humorous, often self-deprecating and sometimes-insightful, perspective.
The teens' experiences pave the way for their personal transformations and unlikely, yet profound, friendships. The novel explores the relationship between trauma and self-forgiveness and the multiple ways that people engage in faith and spirituality.
Young Adult Fiction for ages 12+ Lexile 760L>/P>
Poor choices land four outlier teens in summer-time mandatory community service. Deemed good-for-nothing by those who judge, they label themselves The Nothing Club. After inadvertently setting a grass fire with fireworks, Grady is the first to arrive for community service, followed by the walled and tattooed Margaret, the genius Nikki, and the animal-loving Free Throw, who subsequently meet the I-wish-I-were-invisible concession girl, Catherine.
The teens are supervised by the philanthropic and diabetic widow Mrs. Stafford and her maintenance man, Reg - a non-judgmental mentor with an unconventional approach to rehabilitation. But when a small child and Catherine go missing Reg is the prime suspect. The teens are determined to exonerate him and find their missing friend but their well-meaning efforts lead them further into the activities similar to those that landed them in community service in the first place.
Fast-paced and energetic, the novel is told from 15-year-old Grady's humorous, often self-deprecating and sometimes-insightful, perspective.
The teens' experiences pave the way for their personal transformations and unlikely, yet profound, friendships. The novel explores the relationship between trauma and self-forgiveness and the multiple ways that people engage in faith and spirituality.
Young Adult Fiction for ages 12+ Lexile 760L>/P>
Author Bio
Award-winning Cathy Beveridge has written six young reader books, including four historical novels about Canadian disasters and two contemporary hockey novels. After studying English and education at the University of Alberta, Cathy taught for many years and began writing alongside her students. She enjoys gardening, reading, cycling, hiking and spending time with her family. Cathy teaches creative writing at Ambrose University and lives in Calgary, Alberta.
Review Quotes
"A focus on spirituality freshens this tale of a group of misfits who develop unlikely friendships." - Kirkus
Biographical note
Award-winning Cathy Beveridge has written six young reader books including four historical novels about Canadian disasters and two contemporary hockey novels. After studying English and education at the University of Alberta, Cathy taught for many years and began writing alongside her students. She enjoys gardening, reading, cycling, hiking and spending time with her family. Cathy teaches creative writing at Ambrose University and lives in Calgary, Alberta.
