An unforgettable cast of characters is unleashed into a realm known for its cruelty - the American high school - in this captivating debut novel.
The wealthy enclaves north of San Francisco are not the paradise they appear to be, and nobody knows this better than the students of a local high school. Despite being raised with all the opportunities money can buy, these vulnerable kids are navigating a treacherous adolescence in which every action, every rumor, every feeling, is postable, shareable, viral. Into this complicated web arrives an idealistic young English teacher. Molly Nicoll strives to connect with her students - without understanding the middle school tragedy that is reverberating in different ways for all of them. Writing with the rare talent that turns teenage drama into urgent, adult fiction, Lindsey Lee Johnson makes vivid a modern adolescence lived in the gleam of the virtual, but rich with sorrow, passion, and humanity
In the mine-riddled town of Bordon, Virginia, a group of lost souls are bound together by alcohol, small-time crime, and music. Leon is a lovesick bass player with a broken hand and a belief that next time—next time—he’ll definitely get it right; Jennifer is the bright-but-battered waitress who can’t quite escape the orbit of Arnett, the local drug dealer. When Jennifer convinces Leon to murder Arnett so she can finally be free, a dark chain of events is set in motion, its violence echoing the pain and misery that shape their fractured lives.
Lindsey Johnson, along with Chase Reynolds Ewald, often find their cooking and baking muse from life in the West. Flavor profiles, ingredients, and artistic decorating ideas are all sparked by the romantic and rustic western mountains. In Wild Sugar: Sweet Treats Inspired by the Mountain West, Johnson teaches you how to create amazing desserts via more than 50 recipes plus additional frostings, fillings, and toppings that are based on seasonal ingredients. These recipes are designed for the home baker, and her detailed instructions along with decorating tips and hints, will have you serving showcase cookies, pies, cakes, and sweets in no time.