• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Paddy loves his family, all except for his annoying stepfather Anthony.

When they have a discussion about his future, Paddy overreacts and threatens to join the army. Unable to back down, he finds he is alienating everyone around him. And when he takes the physical exam and learns his blood type, his world starts to crumble and he starts to question everything he thought he knew.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

VICKI GRANT left her career in advertising and television to write her first novel, The Puppet Wrangler, in 2004. She has written many books for young readers, including Not Suitable For Family Viewing, winner of the Red Maple Award, Quid Pro Quo, winner of the Author Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Fiction, Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret, Pig Boy and B Negative. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Web: vickigrant.com

Twitter: @VickiGrantYA

Instagram: @vicki_grantya

Vicki Grant's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Commended, TriState Young Adult Book Review Committee Book of Note
• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets

"The cover art will capture readers' attention but the brief, compelling story will snag readers' thoughts and have them turning the pages as quickly as they can read...The family characters shown here are spare, but believable as low-income, struggling, and imperfect. Readers may identify with these gritty characters."

Tri-State YA Book Review Committee

"Grant is adept at creating highly engaging stories...The plot is briskly paced and straightforward, and is likely to capture the interest of contemporary teen readers. The dialogue is snappy and realistic, and Paddy's first-person narration allows readers to easily understand his motivations and point of view throughout the story...Accessible and compelling."

Atlantic Books Today

"The theme of how people can best parent, and the underlying fear of every adolescent that their true parent MUST be someone else are foremost in this short novel, and will fascinate those struggling readers, especially boys...Teens in conflict with parents and unsure of their future will empathize with Paddy and be drawn into his drama."

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"This fast-paced story—an entry in the Orca Soundings series for reluctant readers—takes us on a roller-coaster ride of a mixed-up family as Paddy processes new information and deals with new relationships. The crux of the story is a fascinating paternity case."

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