Vandal — Michael Simmons

I got treated pretty badly by Jason. He never set me on fire, but he was pretty mean to me. All the same, there was part of me that desperately wanted him to like me.

Will is pretty much your average, garden-variety 15-year-old. He does well enough in school, plays in a rock band, chases girls with little success, and has a typical collection of oddball friends. With one significant exception. For the last several years, he has been systematically beaten up -- physically, mentally, and emotionally -- by his 18-year-old brother. The impact of Jason's seemingly inexplicable behavior on Will, and the other members of his family, is the subject of Vandal. This novel is taut, gripping and at the same time riotously funny.