Winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Children's LiteratureA New York Public Library Book for the Teen AgeWinner of the 2004 Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading ListWhen fifteen-year-old Mick Nichols discovers a secret about his stepmother, he comes obsessed with uncovering the truth. But before he can get to the bottom of it, Mick is confronted by a series of strange robberies and a close friend with a dark secret of her own. As he seeks out answers, Mick realizes that all of his problems are zipped up togetherand he may have to go to drastic lengths to untangle them. ';The McNeals spin a wonderfully rich story.'Kirkus Reviews ';A well-honed novel. . . . Readers will be sucked in.'Publishers WeeklyFrom the Hardcover edition.