Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury (New, 2010, Pbk, 323 pages, Zondervan)

NEW. ISBN 9780310266952.

Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden Harris is very happy and socially engaged—on the inside, in a private world all his own. But Holden is an eighteen-year-old with autism. Every day he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different.

Ella Reynolds is part of the in-crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him . . . the way he is drawn to the music. Then Ella makes a dramatic discovery—she and Holden were best friends as children.

Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake.