«Sticks and Stones» by Dan Moore

Recently released from prison, Rex Jordan’s estranged father hammers on the door in the middle of the night. The ensuing twenty-four hours will leave Rex’s life in turmoil.

Rex lives in rural Stokley, a town plagued with cruelty, bullying and ignorance. His time in school is a test of survival; his time at home spent protecting his younger brother from their alcoholic mother. His only escape is a clearing in the woods with just one entrance: under the cover of a boulder. Rex protects this place as one of isolation, but upon meeting a new student he can connect with, shares his secret place with another for the first time.

The town is reeling from the disappearance of fellow-student Clare and buckling under the pressure of its monstrous tormentors. Can Rex cope and discover the truth, or is his mind getting away from him?