February 16, 2015
A juvenile delinquent must provide for his family when his disabled father and pregnant sister can’t keep up with the bills. Faced with raising $48,000 in three months to keep his family’s house, 15-year-old Billy Zeets will do whatever it takes, but running errands and doing odd jobs isn’t nearly enough. A $100,000 reward to find a missing schoolmate is perfect, especially since Billy thinks he has a lead. However, there’s a serial killer stalking the area, and by investigating the local disappearances, Billy has just made himself a target. Billy’s uneducated, roughshod perspective is littered with grammatical errors, idiosyncrasies, and tense shifts, making for a compelling, offbeat tale. “The fact is, I ain’t no hero, and I aim to prove it. What I done, if I done anything, was get my daddy a fruit stand,” he begins. “And to tell this right you gotta know about that, and other things too.” This particular style won’t be for everyone, but Turner’s grim debut exerts a strong pull, and Billy’s is a real struggle with real consequences. Ages 14–up. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.