BETWEEN SAFE & REAL
by Dannie M. Olguin..

Fifteen-year-old Zoe Wilkes has ninety-nine problems, and a boring life ain't one. With two hungry siblings, an empty fridge, and a violent mother to tip-toe around, Zoe can't slow down enough to catch a breath. When she discovers Mama’s been reading her diary, Zoe realizes she can never write her true thoughts in that book again. Trouble is, if she stops writing entirely, Mama’s sure to think she’s hiding something, and will tear through her room like a tornado—again—to find out what it is. Her solution: continue writing safe entries in the first diary, while writing her real thoughts in a plain-old composition book.
 
As she writes in each journal, Zoe questions her own perceptions, and it’s not long before she fears she’s just as unstable as Mama. After all, the apple never falls far from the tree. If there’s even a shred of truth to her safe journal, then maybe her real journal’s just hot mess of made-up horrors. Thankfully, Zoe’s new friends, Cheryl and Nate, help her find her power and get in touch with her reality.
Fire & Ice YA ~ Melange Books Released in March 2022