This query is from an anonymous author for what looks to be a middle grade novel. Thank you, author, for the honour of allowing me to work on and post this!
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ORIGINAL QUERY
When a smart, imaginative twelve year-old tries to make sense of a seemingly callous world, he discovers that dark family secrets are being kept right under his nose, and the most shocking, most heartbreaking is about him.
Blake Payne has a full plate just being twelve. But it keeps piling higher. He thinks he might be in love with an older girl who uses him as a decoy in her schoolyard trafficking business. He has riled his steely mother by getting suspended from school. Then, out of nowhere, his parents, who never go anywhere, both leave on obviously bogus trips.
Thinking his parents’ departure has to do with his mother hating him since the suspension, Blake asks his down-to-earth grandpa some questions. But his grandpa has questions of his own –crazy ones, like is the kitchen floor bucking under their feet. With everyone acting weirdly, his snarly older sister dropping nasty hints, even Nelson, Grandpa’s sad-eyed dog, behaving skittishly, Blake starts investigating. What he discovers will make his suspension, his big fight and second suspension, even what happens to his grandpa seem small.
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GOBLIN-EDIT
When a smart, imaginative twelve-year-old tries to make sense of a callous world, he discovers his family is keeping dark secrets, and the most shocking one is about him.
Blake Payne has a full plate just being twelve. He thinks he might be in love with the girl using him as a decoy in her schoolyard trafficking business, his steely mom has been riled ever since Blake got suspended from school, and then both his parents--who never go anywhere--leave on obviously bogus trips.
Blake asks his down-to-earth grandpa a few questions, but grandpa has questions of his own, like: is the kitchen floor bucking under their feet? Everyone's acting weirdly, Blake's snarly older sister keeps dropping nasty hints, and even Grandpa’s sad-eyed dog is skittish. Blake starts investigating, but what he discovers will make his suspension, his big fight, his second suspension, and even what happens to grandpa, seem small.
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