Right Behind You by Gail Giles

Kip McFarland burned a kid alive when he was 9 years old and living in Alaska. The newspapers were all over Kip buring a kid. He was sent to a juvenile detention center for violent offenders in Anchorage where he spent the next four years. During that time his dad found a new girlfriend and married her. When Kip was released him, his father, and Carrie all move to Whitestone, Indiana. Kip gets a new name, Wade, and starts high school there. At first he just tries to fit in and does make a few friends. As freshman year closes and sophomore year begins he's asked to be on the swim team and he gets on it. Everything is going well for Wade, until one night during his junior year. Wade is out with his friends on the beach drinking when he gets into a fight with Brandon and he tells them everything about his childhood. Shortly after that the newspapers start running headlines about a child murderer in town, and Wade, his dad, and Carrie decide to move to a Texas beach house that was given to Carrie. There he enrolls in homeschooling and meets Sam who lives next door. As their friendship grows she reveals that she used to drink alcohol all the time, and have sex with whoever gave her beer. Wade then realizes that if their relationship is to go any farther he has to tell her the truth. He writes down everthing about his childhood and gives it to Sam to read. Does she accept him as who he is now or will his family be forced to move again? You've got to read to find out.

T. B. 11/16/07