• Age: 14 to 18
• Grade: 9 to 12
• Reading age: 7 to 10

Being in a band is Stelle's salvation. It is her escape from the chaotic clutter at home and her mother's depression. Even though she is able to lose herself for a few hours, pounding away on the drums in the basement of her dad's new house, as soon as she leaves, it's as if the world is going crazy all around her: one bandmate's parents refuse to acknowledge their son is gay; her band's only potential lead singer dresses like a vampire; and even her best friend, Lu, with the "perfect family" has been on edge lately.

But it's the strange, confused conversations that Stelle has with her grandmother in the nursing home that hold the key to unlocking the unhappiness at the heart of her family.

Deb Loughead is the author of more than twenty-five books for children and young adults. She completed an English degree at the University of Toronto before working as a copy editor. She turned to creative writing after deciding to stay home to raise her three sons. Deb's books have been translated into seven languages, and her award-winning poetry and adult fiction have appeared in a variety of Canadian publications. In addition to having extensive experience with educational writing, Deb has conducted workshops and held readings at schools, festivals and conferences across the country. She has written and directed children’s plays and taught creative writing classes for adults in Toronto. Deb likes to spend her non-writing time reading, knitting or hanging around horses as a therapeutic riding volunteer. Deb lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario. For more information, visit www.debloughead.ca.

Deb Loughead's profile page

"An unflinching look at mental health issues and family dysfunction..."

School Library Journal

"The SideStreets imprint is a real mark of quality: readable teen fiction that tackles difficult topics in a way that's accessible to reluctant readers without condescending to them or sugar-coating the issues. Beyond Crazy is another fine example, featuring a musician who struggles to cope with her mother's mental illness."

NetGalley Reviewer

"[An authentic portrayal of depression and the ripples that affect those around it . . . The text is one that could appeal to a variety of reluctant readers and deals with serious issues that need to be present in the young adult literature canon."

CM Magazine