Bruises
Anke de Vries
Translated by Stacey Knecht
Ages: 14–17
Grades: 9–12
Pages: 176
Anke de Vries
Translated by Stacey Knecht
Ages: 14–17
Grades: 9–12
Pages: 176
The devastating effects of abuse and the healing power of friendship.
Judith has a secret, a secret she conceals with lies. Why is she always covered with bruises? Her new and only friend, Michael, and her teacher, Mr. Beekman, believe what she tells them —that she fell down the stairs, that a gang of street kids ambushed her, that she bumped into a cabinet. No one wants to see the horrible truth: Judith’s mother beats her. And Judith doesn’t understand that she herself is not to blame. Michael, too, has family secrets and emotional bruises of his own. Together, however, Michael and Judith find strength and hope in themselves.Honors
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant YA Readers
Books for the Teen Age —NYPL
Reviews
“This sophisticated, disturbing story presents its characters with sympathy for their vulnerabilities.”
—Publishers Weekly
—Publishers Weekly
“A searing novel —sometimes painful to read, impossible to put down.”
—Kirkus Reviews
—Kirkus Reviews
“A wrenching portrait of a family in crisis.”
—Booklist
—Booklist
about the author
