Paint Me a Monster

Book excerpt: Rinnie Gardener's life looks like a perfect painting from the outside, a loving family and a beautiful house, but when the paint is stripped away, this dream dissolves to dust. Her parents divorce. Her father treats her like a stranger. Her mother, looming like a black cloud, treats her worse. Painful words become painful bruises. Rinnie's own body becomes a source of self-punishment. As her life seemingly falls apart, Rinnie struggles to find the courage to pick up the pieces. In a brilliantly unique style and voice, Rinnie tells her story, a search for identity, love, and healing. She must look in the darkest places to repaint the canvas of her life. She must face the monster.