Martha, the youngest daughter of fanatically religious parents, is all too aware that her family is unusual. Taunted and bullied at school, and lonely at home with only postcards from her elder sister to keep her sane, Martha knows there has to be some other way of living. But it is only when she is befriended by the new boy, Scott, that she decides to reveal the terrible secret that has so far kept her in emotional chains. Carnegie Award-winning author Robert Swindells cleverly draws the reader into Martha's lonely, nightmarish, yet somehow disturbingly and inexplicably comfortable, world by using his mastery of character and mood to create a sense of overpowering tension that is often horrifying but ultimately incredibly sad. Abomination is certainly not a book for the faint- hearted, but lovers of page-turningly gripping suspense coupled with compassionate and forceful storytelling will find it utterly irresistible. --Susan Harrison