Smart Mouth - Holly Lorincz

n*A 2014 Bronze IPPY Award Winner* *A 2014 IndieReader Approved Read* At 23, shy, quirky Addison Taylor is a responsible adult. At least, that's what she put on her job application. Addy hated high school on her first go round, often referred to as Potato Face as she read a book in the corner. And now, on her first day as an English teacher, she's pretty sure she won't make it through this second serving of hell. Unfortunately, she needs a paycheck. She certainly can't rely on her unstable boyfriend. And then there's the rag-tag debate team she's forced to coach - kids who want a way out of Oceanside as bad as she does. She has to prove she can do this, that she can be a functioning cog in the wheel of adulthood. It won't be easy. She's faced with a condescending boss, a teen's bloody secret, a perpetually angry co-worker, a criminal investigation, a natural disaster, and desperate teens. Like all of us, she must find the courage to open her smart mouth, let her voice fly. If she doesn't get this right, she'll fail. Worse, so will the kids. This is one of those stories that you find yourself thinking about long after you turn the last page. It lingers, leaves a mark on you. As many have said, it is laugh out loud funny ... but it has a heart, a warmth, that makes you care about the characters. - Terri Wallace, author of A Sort of Homecoming