Overview

Two fearless explorations of the depths of teenage passion. Louella hates her name, is obsessed with colors and yells herself hoarse when she gets upset. People call her slow, but Lou knows one thing for sure: she wants to be with her boyfriend -- no matter what her parents or doctors think. Poignantly and sensitively told, Nothing but Your Skin chronicles the aftermath of a mentally challenged girl's decision to have sex. In The Pool Was Empty, 16-year-old Celia's boyfriend, Alex, dies after falling into an empty swimming pool -- and his mother accuses Celia of his murder. As Celia tries to clear her name and move on from her devastating loss, she reveals that the shocking events of that fateful day may not be what they seem. The intensity of first love is laid bare in these strikingly emotional stories. Annick Press is pleased to announce the launch of Single Voice, a groundbreaking and provocative new young-adult fiction series in which no subject is off limits. These tightly paced stories deliver blow after powerful blow with their unflinching honesty, original subject matter and startling twists. Told in the voice of teen narrators at crucial moments in their lives, each story explodes with the urgency, drama and confusion of adolescence. Most importantly, these short yet finely honed literary works will appeal to both avid and less experienced readers. Each book consists of two separate but thematically connected stories with distinct inverted covers in an alluring flip-book format. Under the guiding hand of series editor and award-winning author Melanie Little ( The Apprentice's Masterpiece, Confidence ), the series is comprised of works from distinguished writers whose fiction has been recognized internationally. There's an urgency to the stories -- they read in one go. Like a punch in the stomach. In your head. In your heart. -- Le Vif / L'express

Full Product Details

9781554512331

Table of Contents

Reviews

Single Voice series presents short fiction in a unique read-and-flip format. Each slim volume contains back-to-back story duets in opposite orientation to one another so that the reader finishes one story, then turns the book over to read the other. This concept will either prove less daunting compared to plowing through 150-plus pages of text, or will be just plain odd and off-putting. Considering the quality of the material, this reviewer hopes that the Single Voice series starts a trend of producing engaging, brisk-paced novellas that are short enough to consume during a lunch break. Each book uses tried-and-true devices such as first-person narration, large text, and wide margins to keep the reader's energy up. The various authors adroitly handle heavy issues, such as love, sex, rage and betrayal without degenerating into maudlin melodrama. Some authors wield these elements with more grace than others, yet the series remains a quality addition to collections serving readers who tend to become overwhelmed with lengthy stories.--Angelica Delgado VOYA (12/01/2010)

The series remains a quality addition to collections serving readers who tend to become overwhelmed with lengthy stories.--Angelica Delgado VOYA (12/01/2010)

Author Information

Cathy Ytak has written books for children, adults and young adults. She divides her time between Paris and a small village in eastern France. Gilles Abier is an author, actor and theater director who has lived in London, Manchester and Paris. He has written novels for both adults and young adults.

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