Life Before by Michele Bacon

Life Before

Michele Bacon

Sky Pony · Paperback · March 20, 2018

Everyone believes Xander has a normal life and a normal family.

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Who it’s for
A hoped-for carefree summer turns tense, with family secrets and danger upending a teenager’s plans.
Themes
Family secrets, Confronting fear, New identity
Pacing
Fast

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About this book

Everyone believes Xander has a normal life and a normal family. If he can just get through this summer, he?ll start his real life in college with a clean slate?no risk, no drama, no fear. Even better, his plans for summer are awesome: lots of pick-up soccer, relaxing afternoons with friends, and an epic road trip. Xander is banking on some long overdue nights with his ideal girlfriend, the amazing Gretchen Taylor.

Continue reading

Instead of kicking off what had promised to be an amazing summer, however, graduation day brings terror. His family?s secrets are thrust out into the open, and Xander must confront his greatest fear. And survive doing so. Armed with a fake ID, cash, and a knife, Xander skips town and assumes a new identity. Hundreds of miles from home and in danger, one thing is clear: Xander?s real life is already in progress and just getting through it isn?t enough.

Summer, Unsettled

A hoped-for carefree summer turns tense, with family secrets and danger upending a teenager’s plans.

Come here for

  • The sharp contrast between summer freedom and sudden upheaval
  • A teen’s risky escape from a life that no longer feels safe

Expect

  • An edgy, fast-moving story of fear and self-reinvention
  • Family secrets, danger, and a young person facing what comes next

Where it sits

Runaway Stories71%
Violence & Trauma38%
Coming of Age27%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Adventure
  • YA Stories About Parents
  • YA Mysteries
  • Contemporary YA Romance
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Friendship for Teens
  • New Experiences for Teens
  • Runaway Stories
  • Violence & Trauma
Authors
Michele Bacon
Publisher
Sky Pony
Published
March 20, 2018
Format
Paperback
Theme
Family secrets · Confronting fear · New identity
Reading lane
YA Adventure