by Casey Watson
First published 2025
Nine-year-old Sammy has bounced through the care system since his mother started her cycle of imprisonment and release. He has never found stability or safety in any placement. The boy clings to one constant figure in his life: Kenny, a neighbor who calls himself "Uncle Kenny" and offers Sammy the attention he craves. When experienced foster carer Casey Watson takes Sammy into her home, she notices troubling signs about this relationship. Kenny's interest in the vulnerable boy sets off warning signals that Casey cannot ignore. She must act on her instincts to protect Sammy, even as the child resists her efforts and defends the man he sees as his only ally. Watson faces a race against time to help Sammy recognize the danger and break free from Kenny's influence before lasting harm occurs.
Genres: family, abuse, crime, contemporary, foster-children, adoption, foster-parents
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
285 pages · Kindle Edition · HarperElement
Content warnings: child-abuse, pedophilia