Violet Grenade

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Domino desperately wants a home with four solid walls to call her own, a truly safe place. Facing an impossible situation in Detroit, she agrees to go with a mysterious woman to work as an artist, hoping to earn the cash she needs to survive. Domino ends up in an ever-worsening situation in rural Texas, indentured to a mentally unstable madam and terrified that her own dark secret will be revealed. At the house, girls are divided into a caste system of Flowers, earning mere pennies on the dollars spent by those seeking entertainment. Initially girls amuse guests with their art: singing, drawing, and dancing. But as they move up in rank, the stakes get higher and the game more vicious. Dependent on the madam for everything bought via credit, girls never see their money. While savvy readers will see the predatory "opportunity" presented to Domino for what it is, a life of near slavery with no escape, the mystery of Domino's dark secret and those of her fellow Flowers will keep teens in suspense, rocketing toward an intense and surprising conclusion. Mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and child abuse are all tackled in this powerful story. The protagonist's struggles feel authentic and raw, despite the somewhat hasty and too-tidy conclusion.