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

Suri and Lacey have been best friends since kindergarten. Suri, the photographer, has always been the safe, responsible one, afraid to take risks. Now that the pair is in high school, she''s afraid that her more outgoing and adventurous friend will outgrow her.
Then Lacey''s wild, risk-taking personality leads her down a dangerous path -- and Suri is afraid of losing her for real. But if she chases Lacey down that same path of drinking, partying, hooking up with older guys, and drugs, will Suri be able to save her friend -- or herself?

Michelle Kadarusman is a multi-award-winning author of middle-grade novels, including Music for Tigers, The Theory of Hummingbirds, and the Governor General’s Award finalist Girl of the Southern Sea. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Michelle has also lived in Indonesia and Canada; today she splits her time between Toronto, Canada, and Byron Bay, Australia. Room for More, Michelle’s first picture book, was inspired by Australian wildlife sheltering in wombat burrows during the devastating Australian bush fires of 2019–2020.

Michelle Kadarusman's profile page

"Out of It is an easy read and moves along at a satisfying pace as it covers relevant issues such as drugs, sexuality, assault, and peer pressure. Kadarusman illustrates the importance of looking beyond a person's actions and asks readers to evaluate the meaning of true friendship."

Librarian at Belton Library, NetGalley Reviewer

"Kadarusman's use of social media elements, like text conversations and Facebook posts, lend credibility to the plot and authenticity to the characters...The well-drawn, realistic characters and exciting character-driven plot make for a very engaging story."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"This book is a useful resource to address cyber-bullying and physical assault. It also raises important questions concerning peer pressure."

Resource Links

"Kadarusman takes readers on an engaging, emotion-filled ride, offering a refreshing and, ultimately, feel-good slice of life through the eyes of one teen paddling her way through those waters while teetering on the edge of adulthood."

National Reading Campaign

"The Sidestreets series publishes wonderful books featuring YA and current social issues that are always spot on and Out of It is another example of how incredibly important it is to print these types of books in today's world . . . I found the story compelling and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happens . . . Loved it."

NetGalley Reviewer