This book was so terribly heartbreaking to read a child's struggle with being picked on every day at school and to have such low self esteem about himself at such a young age made me want to cry for him. He was struggling with the loss of his mother as not really believing she was dead that she ran away because she was so ashamed of him just killed me. I think it was just away of him coping with her death not really wanting to accept the fact. It was a page turner and a tearjerker for me because I hate to see kids being picked on.