Trap Jam

by Steven Barwin

Drinking. Lying. It's all for the music.

Olivia is living a double life -- high-school student by day, drummer by night. Olivia doesn't know when hanging out in clubs and drinking to appear older and enjoy the music scene became a habit, but she finds herself hungover at school and sneaking alcohol at home. Her bandmates Eddie and Lucas think she is older, and Olivia keeps up the pretence even as her real life starts to fall apart.

When Lucas catches Olivia talking to her friend Raymond in the women's washroom, he beats up Raymond in a jealous rage. With Raymond unconscious and seriously hurt, Lucas tells Olivia that Raymond's criminal brother is looking for them for payback. They go on the run, sleeping in a borrowed van and stealing to get by. Lucas keeps Olivia drunk and off-balance, telling her he loves her and pressuring her to have sex with him -- even when she reveals she's only sixteen. Still, through an alcoholic haze, Olivia sees that Lucas is delusional and dangerous. When she finally discovers that the story about Raymonds brother is a lie, she realizes she has to get out of Lucas's obsessional trap.

About the Author

Steven Barwin

STEVEN BARWIN is a middle school teacher in Thornhill, ON. He is the author of seven books in the Lorimer Sports Stories series, including Spiked, named one of Resource Links Best for 2013.

Reviews

"This entry into the popular SideStreets series is an enjoyably quick read rife with strife, sabotage, and payback, and there is definitely room in the hi/lo canon for a piece about a young musician feeling pressured to move too fast for the emotional high of pursuing her art."
Becca Wothington,, Booklist Online Exclusive
"...a fast-paced story, blending multiple hot-button issues including controlling relationships and substance abuse."
Publisher's Weekly

Subjects (BISAC)

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