Property of the State
Property of the State is the first book in The Myth of Joey Getchie young adult series.
General Information
The first book in The Myth of Joey Getchie young adult seriers, Property of the State is preceded by the short story The Missus and followed by the short story No Wrong Answers. A second book in the series is in development.
Publication and Reception
Published in 2016, Property of the State was named a 'Best Book of 2016: Teen' by Kirkus Reviews. [1]
Jacket Copy
Who hasn’t dreamed of escape at one time or another? For 16-year-old loner Joey Getchie, the moment comes when a false accusation at school incites a violent assault by his foster father. Desperate and bleeding, Joey flees to the home of the Huntzels, a family he works for part-time. In secret, he takes up residence in oversized Huntzel Manor: going to school by day, hiding out by night in an unused wing of the house. Days pass, but his dodgy foster family shows no interest in dragging him home. Joey knows he’s never been an easy placement. As long as his absence remains unreported, he figures the Bobbitts will be content to draw their foster stipend, free of the pain-in-the-ass kid with authority issues. All he wants is get through the school year, graduate early, and escape foster care forever. But nothing is ever easy. His caseworker, Mrs. Petty, has a sharp eye on him. Classmate Duncan lies in a coma, victim of a hit-and-run the cops think Joey knows more about than he’s telling. Trisha, a foster kid herself, tries to draw the self-protective Joey out and get him to share his troubles. And the Huntzels have dark secrets of their own. As days become weeks and the pressure mounts around him, Joey finds he’s not the only one with something to hide, or someone to hide from.