Nothing To Lose

Nothing to Lose is an incredibly heart-wrenching book because of the very strong story and believable protagonist, but also because of the all-too-true story of abuse that could have been ripped from the headlines of any newspaper across the world. Michael Daye has been on the run for a year, traveling with a carnival, but now hes back in his hometown of Miami, hoping not to be recognized for who he really is: the son of Lisa Monroe, currently on trial for the murder of her husband.

Walker, Michaels now-dead stepfather, was a horribly abusive man. As the book unfolds and every other chapter takes you back a year to when the trouble first really started (though I suppose you could argue it really started when Lisa first began dating Walker), you see that Michael did everything within his power to get his mother to leave. But, like many abused women, she didnt feel capable of it and stayed.

For the first time, he felt like he had an option other than just watching his mother get beaten by Walker. Kirstie, a carny, makes him realize that sometimes there really is nothing you can do. People have to want to help themselves. Michael finally gave up completely after outing Walker to an Emergency Room nurse and having his mother once again deny the abuse. He decided to leave everything behind and create a new life with Kirstie and the carnies.

But what really happened the night Walker died? Can Michael help his mother now? Will she accept his help or will her guilt hold her back? There are many questions and Alex Flinn masterfully twines everything together to come up with an effective and engrossing ending (though some may guess the truth early on, it is so well done you wont mind at all).

I recommend this book for readers aged 12 and up. There are some sexual situations (none graphic and none gratuitous) and some painful abuse/fighting scenes, so do keep that in mind. What Id really like to do is recommend this to women suffering under domestic violence. This book very clearly shows how abuse challenges and changes every member of the household.

If you or someone you love is in such a situation dont hesitate. Get help. Your local phone book will have listings for local organizations and the Internet also offers help. Just search for domestic violence or similar terms.

Set in modern day Florida, Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn follows a teenage boy whose mother has been accused of killing her abusive husband. For two years, Michael attempted to protect his mother and repeatedly tried to get her to leave his stepfather. She refused to leave, even as her husband's temper flared and their home situation worsened. Finally, Michael ran away to work at a traveling carnival; shortly thereafter, his stepfather was dead and his mother was imprisoned.

A year after he left, Michael comes back to Florida with the carnival and finds out that the jury selection is beginning for his mother's trial. She has confessed to the murder, and her attorney is discussing battered spouse syndrome. Michael must decide whether or not to speak up in his mother's defense and tell the truth about what happened in his stepfather's home.

Michael's downward spiral is explained well without ever being heavy-handed. He had decent grades, football, friends and a social life, but as the abuse at home increased, he quit football so that he would have more time at home to look after his mom. After losing his jock friends, he reluctantly starts hanging out with a kid who is now known as a bit of a geek - but used to be his best friend in middle school. When Michael meets Kirstie, a dark-haired beauty a few years his senior, at the carnival, he discovers that he can have his own life - but at what expense? When he returns to Miami a year later, he again must weigh his choices and decide what and who are the most important things in life.

Nothing to Lose is a well-written book that deftly weaves in the protagonist's past and present, with each chapter simply labelled "Last Year" or "This Year." It moves along at a steady pace, never breaking form nor dragging its feet. It is a compelling story that will keep the reader on edge until the very end.

Alex Flinn has written three books thus far, the other two being Breaking Point, about peer pressure and popularity, and Breathing Underwater, about teenage dating and abuse. Though I liked all three of Flinn's books, I think her writing has greatly improved with the passage of time. Her first novel, Breathing Underwater, gets two and a half stars from me; Breaking Point snags three stars; and Nothing to Lose deserves four stars. Also, while you should never judge a book by its cover, I have to give two thumbs up to the cover art for Nothing to Lose - the wheel of destiny.