Diced

'I click on the link and it takes me to Website, which has a list of terrible ways to die. I read them. Cut, sliced, quartered, stabbed, knifed, shredded, diced. I stop, and read the last word again. Diced. I like the sound of that word. I read its definition - to be cut into small cubes. I’m not impressed with the definition. To me, diced sounds like a word that should mean tricked, double-crossed, wrong-footed.' 13 year-old Jessica learns overnight that the people you most trust are sometimes capable of 'dicing' you; and worse. Unexplained problems in her dad’s company lead Jessica to loose her best friend, and to make a new one. Those same problems require her to grow-up faster than she’d planned, and to enter into an agreement to which she never actually agreed. Before long, Jessica is faced with a seemingly impossible choice that tests her resiliency, willpower and ultimately her sanity to their limit. This story is part coming-of-age, part thriller, part urban adventure. Appealing to a wide audience, but perhaps best suited to early teens, the clever word choice and vivid descriptions make for a rich read. The plot and characters are strong.