Sixteen-year-old Imogen has a black belt in karate and recently performed a highly successful demonstration of her martial-arts skills at a school assembly. When a gunman enters the diner where she is eating, Imogen hides under the table while a friend dials 911 from the restroom. Police arrive and kill the gunman, whose death plunges Imogen into guilt and remorse, as she feels she should have been able to disarm him. Debut author Skilton understands and respects martial arts, and she does a beautiful job presenting the philosophy that drives serious martial artists. She also delivers a fascinating portrait of PTSD, dysfunctional families, anger management, and survivor's guilt. There are no undeveloped characters here. Imogen's conflicted, contradictory romance with a fellow witness of the shooting explores issues of race and class; her ultrapopular brother is both a caring sibling and a total playboy; and her disabled father's deterioration from diabetes sparks growth and understanding in the their relationship. Here is a writer to watch who handles complex issues with sensitivity in the vein of Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen.

A taekwondo black belt struggles to forgive herself after failing to act when she witnesses the police shoot and kill a would-be robber. Disciplined, confident Imogen is shaken to the core when a man holds up the diner she's eating in and she hides beneath a table rather than trying to disarm the perpetrator. She locks eyes with a boy who is also hiding while an acquaintance calls the police from the bathroom. Imogen winds up covered in the gunman's blood. Realistically gut-wrenching weeks follow, as she tries to come to terms with nightmares, anxiety and, most of all, a deep sense of shame. Her fellow witness turns out to be Ricky, a new student at her school, and the two find themselves intensely bonded due to their shared experience. They eventually embark on a relationship that includes her training him in martial arts. Imogen is a refreshingly complicated and intense character, but her rigid refusal to forgive others, such as her kind but sexually promiscuous older brother and her father, a diabetic who is not taking care of himself, makes it hard to like her at times. However, her story is compelling, and readers will stick with her as new insights bring about a believable shift in her behavior. This distinctive debut will be appreciated by fans of contemporary fiction. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Gr 8 Up-High-school junior Imogen suffers from memory lapses after witnessing an armed robbery at a diner. During the event, she hid under a table and locked eyes with a boy, who, like her, was frozen by fear. The gunman threatened the cashier and was shot dead by police. The youngest black belt in her Tae Kwan Do dojang , Imogen is ashamed that she did not use her skills to prevent the tragedy. In counseling sessions with Ricky, the crouching boy, she finds genuine friendship and burgeoning romance. However, her guilt causes her to avoid the dojang and alienate friends and family, especially her Casanova brother, Hunter, who hooked up with her friend Shelly, and her father, whom she resents for being wheelchair-bound and unwilling to pursue physical therapy. At the breaking point, she delivers an undeserved punch to Ricky and is banished from the dojang . Poignant and emotionally raw at times and humorous at others, this debut novel adeptly portrays a shattered life in the wake of an unexpected act of violence and the road back to normalcy. Imogen's repressed memories come back slowly as the members of her support system face their own learning curve in how to help her cope. Fans of realistic fiction will appreciate the multilayered story, Tae Kwan Do action and philosophy, and resilient protagonist. Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY