Synopsis:
​
Brick’s home life is a horror show. His dad has a temper like a pressure valve; you never know when he’s going to blow. His mom’s a self-absorbed flake who leaves the care of his little sister to Brick. A guy could go crazy with all that tension. It’s no wonder Brick has to let off a little steam of his own once in a while. It’s not like he’s anything remotely like his dad. The day he turns sixteen, Brick’s out of there. This summer he’s going to take up Mr. Larkin’s offer of work, even though he’s been forbidden to “fraternize with the neighbors.” And he’s going to earn enough money to escape. Get out and never look back. But who will his dad turn to when he doesn’t have a son to kick around anymore?
​
A compulsive read by a two-time winner of the Ann Connor Brimer Award, Home Truths is a revealing portrait of a bully-in-training and his journey to redemption.
Subjects:
YAF058020 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Bullying
YAF058170 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Physical & Emotional Abuse (see also Social Themes / Sexual Abuse)
YAF058220 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
ISBN: 9781897151969
Format: Trade Paperback
Size: 5.375" x 8"
Shortlisted, 2011 SYRCA Snow Willow Award
Shortlisted, 2012 OLA Red Maple Award
​
Reviews
​
“If I were to rate this book on a scale from one to five, it would definitely be a five. … I absolutely adore this book.”
— National Post
​
“Sensitively written, this novel provides a real context to discuss bullying … in addition, the character development is engaging for the intended audience.”
— Resource Links
​
“Highly recommended.”
— CM Magazine
​
“Jill MacLean has created a remarkable portrait of a bully, taking readers carefully into his mind and heart … This is an intense and sobering look at an all-too-common experience, and and invitation to look beneath the surface of the characters we encounter in our lives.”
— Atlantic Books Today
​
“A thought-provoking novel … What makes the book so compelling is the line that Brick straddles between being a mildly likeable character to a very unlikeable one.”
— The Chronicle Herald
​
“As I read, I found myself cheering for Brick, as engaged in his struggles as if he were real. In my mind, that’s about the highest compliment a book can be paid … A powerful, suspenseful story about redemption.”
— Ten Stories Up