First published 2001
Luke has spent his entire life hidden inside his family's farmhouse. As a third child, the Population Police have forbidden his existence. He has never attended school, celebrated a birthday, or made a friend. When developers build houses where woods once provided cover, Luke loses even his ability to venture outdoors. From his attic window, Luke watches the new neighborhood. One day he spots something impossible: a girl's face in a window of a house where two children already live officially. The girl is Jen, another shadow child like himself. Unlike Luke, Jen refuses to accept a life of hiding. She has formed a dangerous plan to bring third children out of the shadows, and she wants Luke to join her. Luke must choose between the safety of his hidden existence and the risk of Jen's bold scheme. His decision will determine whether he remains invisible forever or steps into a world that denies his right to exist.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, young-adult, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: forbidden-love, found-family
Setting: Farmhouse, Neighborhood
Period: Contemporary
184 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Rageot
Content warnings: child-abuse