Synopses & Reviews
The 2014 Winner of the William C. Morris Award
When youve been kept caged in the dark, its impossible to see the forest for the trees. Its impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .
In Stephanie Kuehn's brilliant debut Charm & Strange, Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.
Hes part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.
Hes part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.
Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.
Before the sun rises, hell either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.
Review
"[a] taut psychological thriller...difficult to put down."--Horn Book magazine “A high-powered voice rich in charismatic style and emotional intensity illuminates this ambitious debut.”--Kirkus reviews "Kuehn absolutely nails the voice and keeps us on constant edge."--Booklist "Twisted, and twisting. Relentlessly compelling. Lush storytelling. A must-read." —Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of Triangles, Fallout and Tricks "...haunting...Charm & Strange is a shocker of a page-turner that unravels brilliantly from both ends." —Lisa McMann, New York Times Bestselling author of Dead to You "Charm and Strange is a story of blood and family and the animal inside—and its ferociously real. " — Blythe Woolston, author of Catch & Release
Synopsis
The 2014 Winner of the William C. Morris Award
When you've been kept caged in the dark, it's impossible to see the forest for the trees. It's impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .
In Stephanie Kuehn's brilliant debut Charm & Strange, Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.
He's part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.
He's part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.
Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.
Before the sun rises, he'll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths-that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.
Synopsis
Exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of an unspeakable tragedy, sixteen-year-old Andrew Winston Winters means to forget everything about his past—his dead siblings, his estranged parents, his own explosive rage. Even his name.
Its for the best.
But forgetting doesnt come easy for Win. Not when what matters has been the source of so much pain. Not when there are people who care about him whether he wants them to or not. How far will he go to protect himself? Will he surrender his sanity to the darkness inside his mind? Or will he learn to make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.
Alternating between Win's tragic past and the isolation of his present, Stephanie Kuehn's Charm & Strange weaves a haunting, unforgettable portrait of grief, madness, and ultimate resilience.
About the Author
STEPHANIE KUEHN holds degrees in linguistics and sport psychology, and is currently working toward a doctorate in clinical psychology. Charm & Strange is her debut novel. She lives in Northern California with her husband, their three children, and a joyful abundance of pets. When shes not writing, shes running. Or reading. Or dreaming.