- Ryan
- is
- fifteen,
- homeless,
- sitting
- on
- a
- rock
- contemplating
- suicide
- when
- Martin
- stops
- and
- takes
- him
- to
- the
- Marshall
- ranch
- where
- his
- Aunt
- Flo
- and
- Uncle
- John
- provide
- a
- home,
- consistency,
- and
- support
- as
- Ryan
- struggles
- to
- find
- his
- place
- in
- the
- world.
- Battling
- bigotry,
- bullies,
- and
- testosterone,
- he
- is
- aided
- in
- life's
- struggles
- by
- Martin
- who
- becomes
- a
- surrogate
- brother,
- Michele
- (Mike),
- his
- first
- love,
- Toni,
- a
- professed
- lesbian,
- and
- Henry,
- his
- Sioux
- Indian
- brother.
- Being
- a
- teenager
- is
- not
- easy
- especially
- when
- there
- is
- a
- small
- group
- in
- the
- rural
- Nebraska
- community
- where
- he
- lives
- that
- is
- lead
- by
- a
- local
- minister
- who
- makes
- life
- difficult
- because
- he
- believes
- Ryan
- is
- gay
- and
- doesn't
- like
- his
- race.
- Adding
- to
- his
- problems
- is
- Bardley
- Sorensen,
- the
- town
- bully.
- Overcoming
- the
- challenges,
- life
- seems
- to
- be
- leveling
- out
- and
- looking
- brighter
- until
- Sorensen
- is
- found
- murdered.
- In
- this
- surprise
- who-dun-it,
- clues
- are
- woven
- throughout
- the
- story
- as
- the
- list
- of
- suspects
- grows
- to
- leave
- the
- reader
- playing
- the
- role
- of
- Charlie
- Chan
- to
- figure
- out
- who
- the
- murderer
- is
- and
- what
- happens
- to
- each
- of
- the friends.
pro-mbooks3 : libris
