The Family that Finds Us - Blackwood Phoenix

Phee hides her secrets well, until they become too much to bear. Her biggest secret is one she's kept even from herself. Her longest-kept secret is one that hurts her every day. Her final secret is one that will set her free.

In a school that doesn't accept them, Phee, Theo, and Alex fight for a community close to their hearts. The community desperately needs the trio to help the rest of them leave the shadows without fear of violence and discrimination. Through some heroic activism, the three push the school officials to their limits - forcing them to act - for better or worse.

For Phee, the fight for a place where she can be herself doesn't stop when she gets home. The strain of taking care of her alcoholic and abusive mother threatens to break Phee away from her family bond forever. Her mother can go from a messy drunk to an angry one in an instant, turning Phee's home life from an obligation to a war zone.

Theo's house offers respite to Phee. With compassion scarce in her life, Alex and Theo are Phee's light in the dark. They protect and cherish her. At Theo's, Phee is free to be herself and explore her identity safely - her chosen family ready to catch her if she falls. That's what family does, how family finds us when we feel lost and alone.