This is a first-rate novel for young adults. The story: Jody fell hard for new boyfriend Andy. They also shared the nightmare experience of having a loved one struck by a drunk driver and both were against excessive drinking. Despite Andy's cheerful reassurances, Jody had a bad feeling about attending a party where booze and drunken teenagers were in no short supply. But on leaving the party, Jody would soon fall into a nightmare of her own. A pair of car headlights were speeding straight at her! Amanda Hyde's Broken Dreams carries a powerful message that is certain to resonate in a very meaningful way with a whole generation.
Amanda Hyde is one of the most promising young Canadian writers to emerge in years. Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1979, Hyde's interest in writing began in high school in Moncton, New Brunswick. It resulted in her first published novel while still in her early 20s. Educated at Nova Scotia Community College, Hyde is a graduate of the college's American Sign Language/English Interpretation program. Hyde works with deaf children on behalf of the Toronto District School Board. She's also an editor/writer for publications serving the Deaf, including the national newsletter, The AVLIC News. Hyde has been a resident since 1999 of Burlington, Ontario, a city neighbouring Canada's steel city, Hamilton. She continues to live in Burlington with husband Thomas and her cat Toast. Although Broken Dreams is Hyde's first novel, she has several others in the works and appears destined to one day take her place among Canada's great writers of books for youthful audiences.