"In this tender verse novel, Joy McCullough explores complications of love and loyalty, reminding us that--with great courage and true friends--we have the power to redefine ourselves, our homes, and the kinds of families we want to create."--Megan E. Freeman, bestselling author of Alone

"A layered story about found family, the desire to be understood and valued, and how nature can help us find the courage to soar."--Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor-winning author of Red, White, and Whole

"McCollough offers a tender look at a girl and her mother as they slowly begin to build a life outside the shadow of an emotionally manipulative elder. Kestrel's relationship with her grandfather is handled thoughtfully, showing the complicated mix of love, loyalty, and fear that can exist in families. . . . An accessible and heartfelt story about emotional control, resilience, and finding a path forward."--School Library Journal

"What a beautiful story, and what a subtle unraveling of a young girl's understanding of abuse and what home should really feel like."--Nicole Melleby, author of Lambda Literary finalist Hurricane Season

"McCullough chronicles one tween's reckoning with religious faith and overcoming fear in this empowering verse novel. . . . Accessible text portrays the protagonist's shift from frightened nervousness to steadfast self-confidence, resulting in a deeply introspective offering."--Publishers Weekly

* "McCullough's moving verse novel elegantly holds space for Kestrel's conflicting emotions as the summer progresses. Kestrel's spare, honest first-person narration lays bare the intensity and complexity of her feelings. . . . Well-realized secondary characters (including canine ones) support Kestrel as she moves from fear (of dogs, of freedom, of Grandpa) to belief in herself and what she's capable of."--Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW