Nothing to Lose

I shouldn't have come back to Miami . . . I've been escaping cops' notice for a year now. I'm no longer Michael Daye, high school athlete with a promising future. Now I look like someone whit no future. When Michael saw a chance to leave town with a traveling carnival a year ago, he took it. Back then, his home life was spinning violently out of control. The carnival, with its "no questions asked" policy, seemed like a welcome escape. But now Michael's job has brought him back to Miami, where his mother is on trial for murder, making him wonder how much longer he can hide from his past . . . and his future. From School Library Journal Grade 9 Up--Michael Daye, aka Robert Frost, is on the run, and he knows he never should have returned to Miami, but in order to keep his job with the carnival, he has to go where it takes him. He hopes that he won't be recognized as the son of Lisa Monroe, who is on trial for the murder of her millionaire husband, Michael's tyrannical, abusive stepfather. Through alternating present/last-year chapters, readers follow the teen as he tries to live in the moment and avoid the cops who want to question him, while remembering his life just before he ran away from home. Unfortunately, he had been unable to convince his mother to leave the marriage, so she took the only other way out or did she? Flinn has created a believable, conflicted, and often angry protagonist. This is a compelling story about abusive relationships and the trauma they cause, as well as the legal implications of "self-defense" within them. Readers will be drawn to Michael in his despair and his fervent desire to protect his mother. Unfortunately, all too many young adults will know firsthand how accurate the portrayals are. This is a heartrending, unforgettable book. --Lynn Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Gr. 7-12. The author of Breathing Underwater (2001) and Breaking Point (2002) mines her legal background to good effect in this new novel. A year has passed since Michael fled his impossible home life to join a traveling carnival. Now the 17-year-old runaway has returned to Miami to find his mother going on trial for the murder of his savagely abusive stepfather. What really happened? Only Michael knows the whole truth, but will he come forward? In a narrative that--in brief, alternating chapters--moves backward and forward in time, Flinn expertly reveals how very complicated this question is. The result is a fast-paced, readable mystery that is rooted in the psychology of battered-spouse syndrome and its impact on an entire family. An inside look at carnival life and Michael's growing love for another carny named Kirstie add gritty texture and a layer of emotional richness to the already intriguing plot. Michael Cart Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved

a Year Ago, Michael Daye Escaped His Violent Home Life By Joining A Traveling Fair. Now His Mother Is On Trial For Murdering His Brutal Stepfather And Only Michael Knows The Truth That Can Save Her. But If He Reveals The Truth About His Past, Will He Give Up His Newfound Freedom Forever? A Fresh, Unflinching Look At Domestic Violence From The Acclaimed Author Of Breathing Underwater.

o Alex Flinn's First Novel, breathing Underwater, Received Rave Reviews And Numerous Honors, Including A publishers Weekly Flying Start. In A Starred Review, Kirkus Called nothing To Lose arresting, And Said, As She Did In Breathing Underwater, Flinn Does A Masterful Job Of Exploring Domestic Violence.

o During Her Career As A Lawyer, Flinn Dealt With Domestic Abuse. She Brings An Objective Yet Insider View To This Topic, And Has Gained A Reputation As An Author Who Can Write Gripping, Honest Fiction.

o This Powerful, Character–driven Novel Will Appeal To Adults And Teens Across The Board Who Simply Enjoy Fine Fiction.

ages 13+

booklist - Michael Cart

the Author Of Breathing Underwater (2001) And Breaking Point (2002) Mines Her Legal Background To Good Effect In This New Novel. A Year Has Passed Since Michael Fled His Impossible Home Life To Join A Traveling Carnival. Now The 17-year-old Runaway Has Returned To Miami To Find His Mother Going On Trial For The Murder Of His Savagely Abusive Stepfather. What Really Happened? Only Michael Knows The Whole Truth, But Will He Come Forward? In A Narrative That--in Brief, Alternating Chapters--moves Backward And Forward In Time, Flinn Expertly Reveals How Very Complicated This Question Is. The Result Is A Fast-paced, Readable Mystery That Is Rooted In The Psychology Of Battered-spouse Syndrome And Its Impact On An Entire Family. An Inside Look At Carnival Life And Michael's Growing Love For Another Carny Named Kirstie Add Gritty Texture And A Layer Of Emotional Richness To The Already Intriguing Plot.

A year ago, Michael Daye escaped his violent home life by joining a traveling fair. Now his mother is on trial for murdering his brutal stepfather and only Michael knows the truth that can save her. But if he reveals the truth about his past, will he give up his newfound freedom forever? A fresh, unflinching look at domestic violence from the acclaimed author of Breathing Underwater.

o Alex Flinn's first novel, Breathing Underwater, received rave reviews and numerous honors, including a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. In a starred review, Kirkus called Nothing to Lose arresting, and said, As she did in Breathing Underwater, Flinn does a masterful job of exploring domestic violence.

o During her career as a lawyer, Flinn dealt with domestic abuse. She brings an objective yet insider view to this topic, and has gained a reputation as an author who can write gripping, honest fiction.

o This powerful, character–driven novel will appeal to adults and teens across the board who simply enjoy fine fiction.

Ages 13+

The Washington Post

Alex Flinn has said she drew on two experiences to write this book: her childhood love of carnivals and her work as a lawyer trying domestic violence cases. She writes vividly about both here, which sets her novel apart from the formula-driven pack. — Elizabeth Ward

I shouldn't have come back to Miami . . . I've been escaping cops' notice for a year now. I'm no longer Michael Daye, high school athlete with a promising future. Now I look like someone with no future. When Michael saw a chance to leave town with a traveling carnival a year ago, he took it. Back then, his home life was spinning violently out of control. The carnival, with its "no questions asked" policy, seemed like a welcome escape. But now Michael's job has brought him back to Miami, where his mother is on trial for murder, making him wonder how much longer he can hide from his past . . . and his future. A year after running away with a traveling carnival to escape his unbearable home life, sixteen-year-old Michael returns to Miami, Florida, to find that his mother is going on trial for the murder of his abusive stepfather.