Realistic Fiction/YA
219 pages

Iris has good friends and is a gifted science student, so why is she so angry and alone?  Her mom is gone, killed by a drunk driver, her dad has no time, her English teacher has it in for her (she’s failing), and even the barking dong next door gets on her nerves (she’s been afraid of dogs forever).  So she takes it out on her closet walls with a sledgehammer and in her journal with some pretty harsh words.  When her journal entries are interpreted as threats, Iris is sentenced to months of community service and summer school.  Can the other broken teens and the neglected dogs break through her over protective walls?  Will she be able to deal with being abandoned by her old friends or the betrayal of her new friends?  And really what will it take for her to heal?

This book gives a glimpse of what it takes to overcome trauma and how helping others and taking care of ourselves go hand in hand.  I would recommend this book to readers who like realistic fiction that tackles loneliness and can handle some mild dating drama.  Dog lovers may find a special place for this book in their hearts as well.