Idara Udo: Sweet Nothing, Bitter Everything, Kartoniert / Broschiert

Klappentext

Sweet Nothing, Bitter Everything Malik is thirteen when he stops waiting for his mother to come home. Since their father died, she's gone from one relationship to another, and her disappearances have only gotten longer. Malik has learned how to stretch a box of cereal, forge a signature, and recognize the kind of tiredness on his mother's face that usually means she's about to disappear again. He's learned to protect his eight-year-old brother, Jordan, from as much of it as he can. But there's only so much a kid can do. Then one afternoon, their mother drops them off four blocks from home, promises she'll be right behind them, and doesn't come. No key. No warning. Just two boys locked out with nowhere to go. A night in an abandoned warehouse leads to a desperate shoplifting attempt that nearly gets Jordan hurt. Then there's a stranger's slap after they sleep for a few hours inside a car that isn't theirs. When they finally make it home, their mother is there, laughing and showing off an engagement ring, acting like nothing happened. That's when Malik stops believing she'll change. By morning, he's gone. His brother's hand is in his, a packed bag on his shoulder, and no real plan beyond one thing: I'll take care of us now. What follows is a story about what happens when a child has to become responsible for another child. About strangers who offer help with strings attached, adults who don't always feel safe, and the painful difference between thinking you can handle something and actually having to handle it. Sweet Nothing, Bitter Everything is a story about survival, family, and what happens when the people meant to protect you are the ones you can't depend on. It's about growing up before you're ready and choosing someone else's safety even when you're scared of what it might cost you.