2 0 1 1 ▁International ▁Reading ▁Association ▁Award , ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁Cy b ils ▁award , ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Silver ▁Parent ' s ▁Cho ice ▁Award , ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁Mexico ▁State ▁Book ▁Award . ▁It ▁has ▁received ▁mostly ▁positive ▁reviews . ▁The ▁book ▁has ▁also ▁received ▁eleven ▁nomin ations ▁for ▁state ▁awards ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁published ▁in ▁four ▁languages . ▁▁ ▁The ▁story ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁A vas th i ’ s ▁experiences ▁while ▁working ▁at ▁a ▁domestic ▁ab use ▁law ▁clin ic . ▁A vas th i ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁an ▁encounter ▁with ▁a ▁mother ▁and ▁her ▁two ▁young ▁children , ▁a ▁boy ▁and ▁a ▁girl , ▁who ▁went ▁through ▁a ▁tra um atic ▁and ▁ab us ive ▁experience . ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁present ▁t ense ▁and ▁narr ates ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁a ▁te en age ▁boy , ▁whose ▁father ▁phys ically ▁ab used ▁the ▁boy ' s ▁mother . ▁As ▁he ▁grew ▁up ▁the ▁boy ▁would ▁later ▁ab use ▁another ▁young ▁woman . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁main ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁J ace ▁With ers po on , ▁who ▁lives ▁with ▁his ▁parents ▁in ▁River ▁Forest , ▁Illinois . ▁He ▁f ights ▁with ▁his ▁father ▁to ▁draw ▁attention ▁away ▁from ▁his ▁mother , ▁like ▁his ▁brother , ▁Christian , ▁taught ▁him ▁to . ▁His ▁father ▁is ▁sk illed ▁at ▁leaving ▁no ▁marks . ▁When ▁J ace ▁finally ▁sn aps ▁and ▁f ights ▁in ▁protest ▁against ▁his ▁father ’