Two gunmen hold seven hostages, including teenager Zach Wahhsted. What nobody realizes at first is that Zach is anything but ordinary and his troubled mind is more dangerous than any weapon.
Crowded into a tiny back room, the frightened captives can only watch as the teenage robbers struggle to maintain control. While the others brace for sudden gunfire, Zach is locked in an escalating struggle against cruel voices that no negotiator can calm.
When the captors offer to release the crowd, Zach chooses to remain behind in exchange for a promise that his doctor can deliver his overdue pills. As the standoff stretches into the dark, a missed dose threatens to shatter the fragile control holding his reality together.
Terry Trueman has created a compelling character with the same shocking power and heartbreaking compassion as his Printz Honor Award debut novel, Stuck in Neutral.
Ages 12+
Terry Trueman grew up in the northern suburbs of Seattle, Washington. He attended the University of Washington, where he received his BA in creative writing. He also has an MS in applied psychology and an MFA in creative writing, both from Eastern Washington University. Terry is also the author of Stuck in Neutral and its companion novel, Cruise Control; Hurricane; 7 Days at the Hot Corner; No Right Turn; and Inside Out.