FOR FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Shadow Thompson, life ended seven years earlier-the night his older brother Daniel ran away from home, taking not only Shadow's piggy bank but also his trust. That's when Shadow stopped depending on other people and turned inward, relying only on himself. But now Daniel is back and he stands accused of murder. Shadow's anger at his brother, his parents' struggles to cope with the sudden return of their son, and Daniel's own feelings of guilt create an emotional undertow that threatens to consume the family once again. But as Shadow begins to open up to new friends, he slowly learns to trust and finally, to forgive. Now the Thompsons may get a second chance at being a family. Award-winning author S.L. Rottman once again crafts a powerful story that depicts the complexity of human relationships within the framework of a troubled adolescent's struggles to make sense of the people and the world around him.