High school freshman, Toby Malone, is desperately trying to get some kind of control over the nightmare that his family has become. His father gone, Toby's mother is trying to provide for her three boys and is struggling to make ends meet. Toby's older brother has turned to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with his pain and Toby tries to get him to stop by flushing his drugs down the toilet. It only makes matters worse. Mom is depressed and she's overwhelmed by her feelings and her struggle. She has stopped being the parent and Toby's fearful choices and actions are simply not enough to bring order to the chaos. This is a gritty, heartwrenching story of a courageous boy struggling valiantly with the failures of the adults in his world. 192 pages Ages 13 and up