Frank, (short for Francesca) has been mercilessly bullied by Neil and his goons for over a year. She lives in fear and sees no way out. Then one day, Nick, a over-sized boy with body odor problems comes to her rescue. At first Frank is afraid that now he will want to be her friend, which would cause her more social problems. Yet something keeps bringing her back to his home, and slowly she comes to realize that he is more, much more, than he seems.As always with these kinds of books, it was hard for me to read the bullying sections because of my own experience with bullying as an early teen. It is amazing how a few events from childhood stay with us for the rest of our lives. I guess that is why so many writers write about bullying, because they are still dealing with wounds from their own early life. The thing that made this story bearable is that Nick is such a nice guy. Even when Frank does the ultimate betrayal of Nick, he doesn't lash out at her or blame her. This is such a good story about how forgiveness can overcome hatred. The author left the story open for a sequel. We will have to see if one is forthcoming. (2016 UK, 2017 US, 217 p.)
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