Elliot has lived his first thirteen years confined to his home,
incapacitated by fear. Now he's out of pills, snow is falling, and his
only safe person is missing. A terrifying thriller from Carnegie
Medalist Kevin Brooks.
From the moment of his birth, Elliot's life has been governed by fear of
almost everything, even of his own fear -- a beast that holds him
prisoner in his room. The beast is kept at bay, though not eliminated,
with a daily regimen of pills. But on Christmas Eve, a mix-up at the
pharmacy threatens to unleash the beast full force, and his mother must
venture out in a raging snowstorm to a store that should be only minutes
away. Hours later, when she still hasn't returned, Elliot sees no choice
but to push through his terror, leave the house, and hunt for her. What
happens if the last of his medication wears off and the beast starts
scratching at the doors of his mind? Everyone has a breaking point --
will Elliot come to his? With plot twists and turns that keep readers on
the edge of their seats, multi-award-winning author Kevin Brooks offers
a high-suspense exploration of fear and what it means to truly be
afraid.