by Mavis Jukes
First published 1991
Ten-year-old Maggie faces daily torment from a classmate who seems determined to make her life miserable. At home, she turns to her parents for guidance, but they offer completely different approaches to handling the situation. Her mother suggests one strategy while her father recommends another. Meanwhile, her unpredictable friend Iris throws in her own wild suggestions. Two years have passed since her parents' divorce, yet they continue their battles through Maggie. She finds herself caught between conflicting voices, each pulling her in a different direction about how to stand up for herself. The obnoxious classmate continues the harassment while Maggie struggles to figure out whose advice to follow. Her parents' ongoing hostility complicates everything, making it harder for her to navigate both the school situation and her fractured family life. Maggie must find her own way to deal with the bully while managing the chaos created by the adults around her.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, young-adult, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
144 pages · Paperback · Mammoth
Content warnings: abuse, emotional-abuse