Chris Crutcher, Harper Tempest, 2003

The voice of a teen misfit, with an exquisite and mature sense of self-awareness, tells this tale of high-school angst, child abuse, religious fanaticism, adolescent romance, hypocracy, disappointment, and violence. While the overall story is just a little bit too much, it’s a good read, and has a few scenes sure to warm the hearts of those of us who were outcasts and nonconformists in high school.