How much abuse could you be dealt before it crushes your spirit?  Lisa Heathfield’s story of June’s child and young adulthood is a psychological twister, alternating chapters between before and after an event that changes everything.  Before, June’s mother had died and her father had remarried Kathleen.  After, June is talking to Reverend Shaw about forgiveness.  And then the Before takes off, where Kathleen seems like the perfect wife and doting mom when the father is around, but when he’s not, it’s purely mental and physical torture for June.  Force-feeding her over years to make June obese, coming into her room at night and cutting off some of her hair, and making Megan, the step-sister participate in the multiple physical and spiritual crimes, June hates her life but can not find the words to tell an adult.  Her only escape is a literal one.  When she received a bicycle for her birthday, she is able to ride to an area on the outskirts of town.  Here she meets Blister, a sensitive, creative, smart boy with whom she develops a deep friendship and eventual love interest in over the years.  While other students make fun of her at school and push her to take actions that get her in trouble, Blister sees into June’s soul but must remain a secret, else Kathleen will kill this happy aspect of her life too.  In the after chapters, Heathfield gives hints as readers start to piece together what could have happened between Kathleen and June, but this reader did not foresee the path this story would take.  Young adult readers from 7th and up will cringe with June and love with June and they will follow June until the very last moment.