Laura Stewart Schmidt

Sweeter Than Life Laura Stewart Schmidt

Like pancakes and garlic-and 17-year-old Wendy's family-some things aren't meant to be blended. When her six-year-old stepbrother bursts into her room and destroys her English project, it doesn't matter that he has severe autism. Her father and his wife blame Wendy. Her mother's recent remarriage means that the one place she could escape to is now a shared bedroom with a hostile stepsister.

Wendy gets a job after school to escape her families and earn money for college. She meets Sam and falls in love for the first time. Sam gives her the acceptance she needs and he becomes Wendy's refuge-until she discovers he has been keeping a dangerous secret. When trouble strikes, Sam lashes out at Wendy, and his reckless fury causes a tragedy for which Wendy feels responsible. Is the family she rejected the only thing that can save her?