First published 2017
Virgil Salinas feels like a misfit in his sports-obsessed family. He's gentle and quiet, nothing like his athletic siblings. Valencia Somerset is deaf, brilliant, and loves nature, but struggles with loneliness. Kaori Tanaka believes she has psychic powers and constantly deals with her younger sister Gen tagging along. Chet Bullens just wants the weird kids at school to act normal so he can focus on basketball. These four lives collide when Chet's cruel prank goes wrong. He traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a neighborhood well. What starts as bullying becomes a crisis. Kaori, Gen, and Valencia must work together to rescue Virgil before it's too late. Their search becomes an adventure that tests each of them. Valencia's intelligence, Kaori's determination, and Gen's loyalty all play crucial roles. Through their efforts to save Virgil, they discover their own courage and form unexpected bonds. The rescue changes all four kids, teaching them about bravery and the power of being different.
Genres: fiction, family-life, adventure, mystery, contemporary, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-allies
6 pages · MP3 CD · Balzer & Bray