Walking Naked

'Every school has one. They are ugly or fat. They have scars or acne or birthmarks. We are mean to them. We ridicule them. We don't want to stand near them or sit next to them. Perdita was one of those.' Megan is one of the leaders of the in-group. She wouldn't dream of talking to Perdita, 'the Freak'. But when they are thrown together in detention, she finds herself drawn into a spiky, challenging almost-friendship. Megan faces an uncomfortable truth: Perdita or the group? This sharply observed, unflinching story is about the ins and outs of girls' friendships, the power of words and poetry and the painful getting of wisdom.

Alyssa Brugman attended five different schools in New South Wales, Australia and completed a business degree at Newcastle University. She began writing at the age of twenty-two. Walking Naked is Alyssa's second published novel. Her first, Finding Grace, was shortlisted for a number of literary awards, including the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award (Older Readers) and the New South Wales Premier's Award (Ethel Turner Prize). She now lives in Sydney and works in public relations.