"The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone."Karina has plenty to worry about on the last day of seventh grade: finding three Ds and a C on her report card again, getting laughed at by everyone again, being sent to the principal -- again. She'd like this to change, but with her and her sisters dodging their stepfather's fists every day after school, she doesn't have time to do much self-reflecting. Finally her stepfather is taken away on child abuse charges, and Karina thinks things might turn into something resembling normal. The problem is, he's not gone for good. And as Karina becomes closer with a girl at the community center where her stepfather is not showing up for his parenting classes, she starts to realize a couple things. First, for all the problems her family had tried to escape by immigrating from Haiti, they brought most of them along to upstate New York. And second, if anything is going to change for this family, it is going to be up to Karina and her sisters to make it happen.M. Sindy Felin's debut novel is the story of a young girl's coming-of-age amid the violent waters that run just beneath the surface of suburbia -- a story that has the courage to ask: How far will you go to protect the ones you love? Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Beginning with the chilling statement, "The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone," first-time author Felin draws readers into the chaotic, often violent world of a Haitian-American girl's coming-of-age in upstate New York during the 1980s. Karina, the 14-year-old narrator, expresses her feelings of isolation at school, where she is often taunted, and explains why her situation is even less bearable at home. There, she and her seven siblings and cousins live in constant fear of being beaten by "the Daddy," her "too-fat-for-his-pants" stepfather. After one of his "beat-ups" nearly takes the life of Karina's older sister, Karina knows that someone should contact the authorities. But getting the police involved could do as much harm as good: Karina's cousins-illegal aliens-might get sent back to Haiti and her mother might have to go on welfare. Not only does Karina keep silent about her stepfather's actions but she even takes the blame for her sister's injuries. Candid first-person narrative brings to life the terror, anxiety and pain Karina is forced to endure throughout her family's ordeal, as well as the joy she experiences when she eventually finds a confidante with whom she can share her secret. Despite its disturbing imagery, the book carries a strong message about the complexities of abuse and why victims are not always willing to take a stand. Teens will keep pages turning to learn how and under what circumstances Karina takes her revenge. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 8 Up-To those back in Haiti, "touching snow" means living in America. For seventh-grader Karina, however, life in suburban Chestnut Valley, NY, is far from easy. Her extended family struggles to survive in a world in which they are social and cultural outsiders, where food and shelter are still uncertain, and where a visit from the authorities can mean deportation to a much more desperate homeland. For Karina, though, the biggest threat is within her family. Her stepfather uses brutal force to dominate his wife and stepdaughters. While Karina nurtures dreams of education and connects with caring people who might help her, she is held back by a man who sees his shaky power diminished by any sign of the girls' independence. As Karina and her sisters mature, this conflict escalates to a terrible scale. The author writes with insight about the realities of immigrant life, Haitian American culture, and the double worlds inhabited by many first-generation Americans like Karina. Readers can see the compromises that family members make in the name of survival and the stresses that drive the stepfather's rage, while still holding to the truth that these girls and their mother deserve a life without violence. Although the resolution is brutal, this story is a compelling read from an important and much-needed new voice. Readers will cheer for the young narrator who is determined to step out of the role of victim and build a safe and meaningful life for herself and her family.-Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Thirteen-year-old Karina is the tough, middle daughter, sandwiched between two very different sisters. Older Enid, 17, takes care of her younger siblings and cousins while their immigrant Haitian parents work long hours; Delta, the youngest, is pious and easily frightened. Karina's bravado isn't very deep, though, and she sometimes faints when her stepfather rages. Household rules center around a variety of absolutes, and Daddy is the ultimate authority. After he brutally beats Enid, the family is referred to social services, and Karina meets Rachael, whose parents run the services agency. Felin admirably portrays Karina's home life, but her presentation of Rachael and her family, true to Karina's viewpoint, leaves plenty of unexplained questions. Nonetheless, readers of this stirring first novel will find well-developed characters both in the adults and in the young people, particularly Karina and her sisters, who learn to set limits on the abuse that they will take.--Goldsmith, Francisca Copyright 2007 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.