Ruth Wallace knows she can only hide the scars on her arms for so long. Who wears long sleeves all summer long? Cutting herself doesn't make Ruth's problems disappear, but at least it helps her cope.

Her dad is a nightmare, her mother seems lost in a medicated dreamland, and her brother Caleb can't handle their family life any more than she can. Abby, one of Ruth's good friends, is getting suspicious. Fortunately, Glen Collins hasn't noticed yet. But then again, he's a new student and probably doesn't want to sound mean. Ruth needs to find someway, any way, to heal her scars-the ones she hides and the ones she can't-before something terrible happens.