John ("My father named me after a toilet!") wrestles with the certainty that no one really knows him—not in his miserable home, and certainly not at school. It's true that no one can guess his hidden thoughts, which are hilarious, razor-sharp observations about lust, love, tubas, algebra, everything.

And then there's his home: his father ran off years ago, so he's being raised by his mother, who works long hours, and by her boyfriend, whom John calls "the man who is not and never will be my father." This man is his enemy, an abusive disciplinarian who seems to want to kill John and, in a horrible final confrontation, nearly succeeds.

Moving, wholly involving, original, and emotionally true, You Don't Know Me is a multilayered novel that presents a winning portrait of an understandably angst-ridden adolescent.

Reviving Ophelia is a profound exploration by therapist Mary Pipher, who was increasingly troubled by the rising issues facing adolescent girls. Why were so many of them turning to therapy? Why had these promising young individuals succumbed to depression, eating disorders, suicide attempts, and crushingly low self-esteem?

The answer struck a chord with Pipher, with parents, and with the girls themselves. They were caught in a "developmental Bermuda Triangle," coming of age in a media-saturated culture obsessed with unrealistic ideals of beauty and dehumanized sexual images. It was a culture rife with addictions and sexually transmitted diseases, causing them to lose their resilience and optimism in a "girl-poisoning" environment that promoted values contrary to those needed for survival.

Reviving Ophelia is voiced by the brave, fearless, and honest girls themselves who are emerging from the chaos of adolescence. It is a call to arms, offering important tactics, empathy, and strength. This book urges a change where young hearts can flourish again, rediscover, and reengage their sense of self.