For her entire life, things were easy: school, the violin, making friends, keeping the peace. Ryder Stephens is a popular and accomplished girl who tumbled through her thirteen years with effortless ease.

That is, until her center fell. After witnessing her mother's death, Ryder takes to the streets to right the wrongs thrust upon her by an unjust world. Hardships lead to foolish decisions, which snowball fast. Starving and failing, pieces of Ryder's shattered ego spill onto the NYC streets. All is lost until that one freezing morning, peeking from behind the stone lions at the central library, she spots Jack.

Inviting her into his home, Ryder makes a decision: no more flashbacks, no more grief. With one click, she deletes her past. As different and complicated as Jack's family is, a fake family is a good deal better than no family at all.

Then, the unthinkable happens.

Ryder Stephens is far more than a story of a young girl lost; it is about family and resilience; it's about how society steps in to take care of its own. Ryder Stephens is a must-read book for those who enjoy novels with heart.