Between Two Thorns (The Red Rose #1)

Book excerpt: September 1984 'They judged us before they knew us. They considered us a stain on society, and in a way they were right. I don't try to make excuses. All I ask is that you keep an open mind.' In the backward Republic of Rosewick, Catherine has worked as a scandaler since the age of six. Employed among dozens of young criminals in the underworld, she has lived in poverty her entire life, earning her way by committing crime on every level. It isn't until the mayor of her polluted town reveals his treacherous plot to destroy all else perfect, that Catherine begins to see the error of her ways. Through the exploration of the upper classes, a different world unveils itself, and the fates of many will be determined once the Perfect World begins to fall. Between Two Thorns is the first in the Red Rose series, following the adolescent years of a girl who has lived a shocking life of crime.