Shine

Shine by Lauren Myracle is the story of a hate crime and how is triggers one person to find out the truth about her town.

Cat has withdrawn from all of her friends over the last couple of years. Something happened. She does not talk about it. She does not talk unless she has to. But when her best friend, Patrick, is beaten up and tied to a gas pump with a homophobic statement carved into his chest, Cat has to speak up.

Now she is trying to talk to everyone who might know who hurt Patrick. She is sure that the sheriff will investigate, assume it is college boys passing through town, and close the case.

Told in flashbacks as Cat see old friends, Shine is the story of healing. Though the story is centered around a gay bashing, it is more about relationships, small towns, economic hardship, and learning to speak up for what is right.

Myracle, Lauren. (2011). Shine. New York: Abrams.