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Young Adult Fiction Friendship

The Nothing Club

by (author) Cathy Beveridge

Publisher
Ronsdale Press
Initial publish date
Mar 2025
Category
Friendship, Loners & Outcasts, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781553807285
    Publish Date
    Mar 2025
    List Price
    $21.95

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Description

Four delinquent teens are inadvertently pulled into a criminal investigation that challenges their deepest values and misconceptions.

Poor choices land four outlier teens in summer-time mandatory community service. Deemed good-for-nothing by those who judge, they label themselves The Nothing Club. After inadvertently setting a grass fire with fireworks, Grady is the first to arrive for community service, followed by the walled and tattooed Margaret, the genius Nikki, and the animal-loving Free Throw, who subsequently meet the I-wish-I-were-invisible concession girl, Catherine.

The teens are supervised by the philanthropic and diabetic widow Mrs. Stafford and her maintenance man, Reg - a non-judgmental mentor with an unconventional approach to rehabilitation. But when a small child and Catherine go missing Reg is the prime suspect. The teens are determined to exonerate him and find their missing friend but their well-meaning efforts lead them further into the activities similar to those that landed them in community service in the first place.

Fast-paced and energetic, the novel is told from 15-year-old Grady's humorous, often self-deprecating and sometimes-insightful, perspective.

The teens' experiences pave the way for their personal transformations and unlikely, yet profound, friendships. The novel explores the relationship between trauma and self-forgiveness and the multiple ways that people engage in faith and spirituality.

About the author

Cathy Beveridge enjoys exploring memorable and often defining moments in time. Her novels include Tragic Links, a thrilling tale of two Quebec tragedies; Shadows of Disaster, a Frank Slide adventure; Chaos in Halifax, about the Halifax explosion; and Stormstruck, the story of the Ontario Great Storm of 1913. Two contemporary novels, Offside and One On One, were published by Thistledown Press.Her books have won the Snow Willow Award and been shortlisted for the Rocky Mountain, Gold Eagle, Diamond Willow and Red Cedar awards. Beveridge often visits schools and libraries, giving workshops and readings. She lives with her family in Calgary.

Cathy Beveridge's profile page

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Cathy's previous books:

"A compelling tale that's not only historically accurate but relevant to young adults." - Quill & Quire

"Beveridge has done an excellent job of tackling the issue of performance-enhancing drugs and their role in organized sport. Highly Recommended." - CM Magazine

"The author uses subtle humour to delve into the serious consequences of drug dependency in amateur sports." - SaskBooks

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