This novel may be brief, but it leaves a big impact.
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Tom’s a normal seventh-grader, negotiating a slightly prickly stage in his long friendship with Jeff…The arrival of new girl Jessica Feeney, however, changes everything; Jessica, who is attending a local hospital for treatment, has been badly burned by a fire, and her terrible disfigurement shocks the class into confusion. This isn’t the usual book about adjustment to difference; instead, Abbott brilliantly explores the kids’ struggle to manage the intrusion of abnormality in their lives…this is a thoughtful exploration of a brief interlude’s lasting impact.
-The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books