Split

Sixteen year old Jace has less than $4.00 in his pocket, a busted face, and not much else, unless you count a long list of memories he'd really rather forget. After a marathon drive from Chicago to New Mexico, Jace has finally arrived at the only place he could think of to go, the only place where he might be safe: his brother's house. The only problem is, Jace hasn't seen his brother in five years, much less talked to him, so he doesn't know if Christian will even take him in. He'll definitely be turned away if Christian finds out what happened to make Jace leave town, which meansit's time to start lying...

Split tells a very difficult story of two brothers so damaged and burdened by guilt they are incapable of having a normal relationship with anyone around them, much less each other. Domestic violence is never an easy subject, but debut author Swati Avasthi is able to walk that fine line of intense emotional storytelling without falling into the overly dramatic pit of teen angst. Christian and Jace are realistic and complicated characters that have a lifetime of emotional and physical abuse they need to recover from before they can start over. This is a compelling look at a family ruined by domestic violence, but it is also a rewarding book about trust, healing, and how two brothers learn to live life for themselves.