Seventeen years is a long time to keep secrets, and Xander Fife has gotten very good at it.
Everyone believes Xander has a normal life and a normal family. If he can just get through this summer, he'll start his real life in college with a clean slate-no risk, no drama, no fear.
Even better, his plans for summer are awesome: lots of pick-up soccer, relaxing afternoons with friends, and an epic road trip. Xander is banking on some long-overdue nights with his ideal girlfriend, the amazing Gretchen Taylor.
Instead of kicking off what had promised to be an amazing summer, however, graduation day brings terror. His family's secrets are thrust out into the open, and Xander must confront his greatest fear. And survive doing so.
Armed with a fake ID, cash, and a knife, Xander skips town and assumes a new identity. Hundreds of miles from home and in danger, one thing is clear: Xander's real life is already in progress and just getting through it isn't enough.
"Life Before's first-person narrative quickly captures the reader, delivering a just unpredictable enough roller coaster ride with successive runs of building tension and release as Xander's first experience of true independence comes with little preparation and sudden and unexpected urgency. . . Both a coming-of-age story and a nail-biting thriller, this debut novel will appeal to a wide range of
VOYA Magazine
"A gripping story about a shattered family and one boy's journey to begin again. Bacon takes on the subject of domestic violence with skill and compassion in this fast-paced, suspenseful, and thoroughly enjoyable novel."
Kirsten Lopresti, author of Bright Coin Moon
"Xander is a believable protagonist who triumphs over fear and trauma. Michele Bacon adds a new, honest, and strong voice."
