Inside Out - by Terry Trueman (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

In a busy coffee shop, a robbery goes wrong.

Two gunmen hold seven hostages, including teenager Zach Wahhsted. What nobody realizes at first is that Zach is anything but ordinary and his troubled mind is more dangerous than any weapon. Desperate for cash, the two teenage brothers herd their hostages into a back storage room as police surround the building. While the gunmen watch the street for police, Zach watches the clock, knowing that missing his afternoon medication will unleash the tormentors trapped inside his head.

Neither the negotiators on the phone nor the young robbers understand that time is running out for the captive who refuses to panic. Trapped past three thirty, the sixteen-year-old struggles to hold onto reality as the cruel voices of Dirtbag and Rat begin to circle.

Terry Trueman has created a compelling character with the same shocking power and heartbreaking compassion as his Printz Honor Award debut novel, Stuck in Neutral.

Ages 12+

• Psychological Thriller: While police surround the coffee shop, Zach stays fixated on getting a maple bar, masking the severe sensory hallucinations threatening to overwhelm him.
• Race Against Time: Teenage brothers Alan and Joey launched the armed robbery out of sheer panic to pay for their mother's chemotherapy, never expecting an accidental gunshot through a desk.
• Mental Illness: Attempting to broker trust before violence erupts, Zach connects the frightened gunmen with his psychiatrist, Dr. Cal Curtis, desperate to de-escalate the standoff.
• Also by This Author: Stuck in Neutral, Cruise Control and 7 Days at the Hot Corner.

From the Back Cover

In a busy coffee shop, a robbery goes wrong. Two gunmen hold seven hostages, including teenager Zach Wahhsted. What nobody realizes at first is that Zach is anything but ordinary and his troubled mind is more dangerous than any weapon. Terry Trueman has created a compelling character with the same shocking power and heartbreaking compassion as his Printz Honor Award debut novel, Stuck in Neutral.

Ages 12+

Review Quotes

"The events unfold with an edge of danger that provides riveting suspense. A plot line that grabs and doesn't let go." - Kirkus Reviews

"Trueman sometimes captures moments of heartbreaking truth, and his swift, suspenseful plot will have particular appeal to reluctant readers." - ALA Booklist