Stained

In a poor district on the outskirts of Cape Town, Grace lives with her adoptive mother, Martha. Of mixed race, Grace dreams about what her unknown, natural mother might be like, fantasizes about finding her, and is plagued by an intense sense of dislocation. Rebelling against her adoptive mother's smothering influence, Grace turns to close friend Shardonnay and her sister, Crystal. In contrast, Crystal is a teenage mum and has had to drop out of school, bitter that her future has been decided by one mistake. Tired of being the responsible example, Grace hits the nightclubs with the younger, mixed-up, pop-idols crazy Shardonnay. All the while, though, she keeps a protective eye on Crystal. Is the baby, Ricardo, the reason Crystal suffers black moods and anger? Or is there a deeper problem? In the wake of searing tragedy, Grace finally comes to understand the qualities that make a caring and decent mother. "Stained" is a real page-turner. Gritty, honest, and hard-hitting, it is packed with drama and emotion from one page to the next. Prior to being developed for the "Cutting Edge" series, it was short-listed for the Sanlam Award for Youth Literature in South Africa. "Stained" is part of the "Cutting Edge" series: fast-paced, quick reads for teens and young adults looking for fiction which chimes with their perspective on life.