I have three months left to call Katie my older sister. Then the gap will close and I will pass her. I will get older. But Katie will always be fifteen, eleven months and twenty-one days old.
Hannah has survived high school by putting up walls. At first, they were meant to protect her from the relentless bullying that no one would defend her from, not even her popular older sister, Katie. Then Katie died, and, in a cruel twist of fate, Hannah's daily torment abruptly stopped. Now the walls try to shut it all outтАФthe grief, the loneliness, and the harsh truth that Katie's death has somehow improved Hannah's life.
Then something happens that Hannah couldn't have predictedтАФfriendship comes knocking in the form of new student Josh Chamberlain. Hannah has never been so desperate for connection. But if this isn't for real, if it's just another joke, Hannah's not sure she can take it.
Praise for Protected:
"Zorn shows the devastating effects of bullying while affectingly tracing Hannah's spiritual journey, coming to terms with truths she doesn't want to face and learning how to trust. " тАФPublishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Though the book tackles important issues, it reaches far beyond these flash points into a fully developed exploration of the aftermath of tragedy through strong characterization and genuine emotional appeal."тАФKirkus, Starred Review
Claire Zorn lives on the south coast of New South Wales with her husband and two small children. Her novel Protected won the ChildrenтАЩs Book Council of Australia Book of the Year (Older Reader) Award, the WA PremierтАЩs Literary Award, and the Prime MinisterтАЩs Award for teens. Visit her at clarezorn.com.