Brutal (22 page)

I'd like to thank my wife, Kimberly, and my family, but not our dogs. They bug me.

Gratitude goes to my agent, George Nicholson, of Sterling Lord Literistic, for yet again defying the odds. To my editor, Joan Slattery, and Allison Wortche, assistant editor, thank you for your attention and outstanding guidance.

There is a place where a river runs through it. I will be there.

—Anon.
                     

Michael Harmon is the author of
The Last Exit to Normal,
which
School Library Journal
hailed as “an excellent read” in a starred review, and
Skate,
praised as a “remarkable first novel” by
Kirkus Reviews
and selected as an ALA Quick Pick. He was born in Los Angeles and now lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he enjoys woodworking, reading, fishing, backpacking, poker, steak, and really loud music.

To learn more about Michael Harmon and his books, please visit
www.booksbyharmon.com
.

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

Copyright © 2009 by Michael Harmon

All rights reserved.

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks
of Random House, Inc.

Visit us on the Web!
www.randomhouse.com/teens

Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at
www.randomhouse.com/teachers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Harmon, Michael B.

Brutal / Michael Harmon. —1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: Forced to leave Los Angeles for life in a quiet California wine town
with a father she has never known, rebellious sixteen-year-old Poe Holly rails
against a high school system that allows elite students special privileges and
tolerates bullying of those who are different.

eISBN: 978-0-375-89164-9
[1. High schools—Fiction. 2. Schools—Fiction. 3. Social isolation—Fiction.
4. Bullies—Fiction. 5. Fathers and daughters—Fiction. 6. Mothers and
daughters—Fiction. 7. Singers—Fiction. 8. Moving, Household—Fiction.

9. California—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.H22723Bru2009

[Fic]—dc22

2008004718

v3.0