Amanda Gatton

No Happily Ever After Amanda Gatton

The town of Faraway, Washington is buried under a particularly harsh winter. Teenagers in attendance at Faraway Senior High find themselves restless, bored, and experiencing a myriad of problems ranging from mild to extreme. Cailyn Pure discovers her father involved in an adulterous affair with a wicked woman who is obsessed with apples. Ella Cinder is victimized by her evil foster mother Thelma Dark, and Thelma's ugly twin biological daughters. Aspen Briar finds herself once again on the verge of being uprooted and moved by her parents who are constantly on the run from a mysterious woman from their past. Stella Rampion is ever smothered by parents who consider her their miracle baby; only conceived once her mother consumed a supposed "magical" flower. Her parents are so overprotective; she's never even been allowed to cut her hair. Zoe Locke feels neglected and ignored, so much so that she begins breaking and entering in and around Faraway; just for kicks. Enter the three Bars. One night, on the cusp of a blizzard, Zoe burglarizes the fairytale like home of the uber wealthy Bar family. What she discovers in their basement sends her into a terrified frenzy, especially when the family unexpectedly returns while she is still inside the home. She breaks her leg while escaping, and is eventually apprehended by Officer Hook. Zoe Locke is sent to juvenile detention and nobody believes her desperate pleas to investigate the Bars. Unfortunately, the oversight on the part of local law enforcement will cost many lives, and the disappearances of numerous Faraway teens. A series of dastardly events is triggered by Zoe's infraction that will bring the town of Faraway to its knees. All involved will learn, there is no happily ever after.