is a story of strength and resilience. Maddie is tough. She's spunky and she's smart. She's got grit. She's a middle school kid who excels in school but keeps her homelife hidden. Her mother's mental illness, her father's abandonment and early death, and her stepmother/guardian's alcoholism and emotional abuse make life unpredictable and chaotic at best and unbearable at worst. She's socially isolated, has no friends, and doesn't fit in. Tossed between homes but tightly bonded with her older sister and younger brother, Maddie maintains hope for a better life while fearing for her own sanity and future. Told in the first person through Maddie's voice, Maddie's in the Middle is a novel of 73,355 words intended for teens aged 13 - 17. The story celebrates resilience as it offers eventual hope while exploring the emerging issues of adolescence in a dysfunctional family.