Rolling with the Dung Beetle

After losing my big brother in a car crash, my family moved to a small town to start over. As if grieving wasn't enough, now I had to find new friends, and in true small town fashion, everyone knew about us and nobody wanted to get close. Loneliest summer ever.

The only good thing about the move was Justin, my first friend. Instead of treating me like a fragile flower, he trounced me at ping pong, sat with me in youth group, and dragged me to weed his uncle's garden. The next good thing was Justin's cousin Lauren, who moved in right before school started. She was my age, and she saw me and not just my dead brother. Her dad had moved them without warning, so she didn't want to be here, but when we all got together, things clicked. Justin, Lauren, and Tag, best friends forever.

Unfortunately, friendship—deep, true friendship—is messy. We hurt each other. We let each other down. Justin and I were so different that sometimes we didn't even like one another. And Lauren… Well, falling in love is messy, too, and that girl had my heart wrapped around her little finger long before I knew what it meant to love someone.

Long story short, it all fell apart. One day the whole planet and God himself turned on me. After that, what's a guy supposed to do but keep his head down and tick days off until the end? And that, let me assure you, is a scary dangerous way to live—or not to live—a life.

Terry's Garden, stories about a huge family, an enchanting garden, and a love story that touches generations. Christian coming-of-age/romance novels for teens and anyone who remembers what it's like to take those first wobbling steps into adulthood.