"Once my superhero and known for his courageous efforts in rescuing children from burning buildings, Father is now a beaten man." Chap. 1, p. 7

"I don't dare make a sound as I cry deep inside. I know I'm wrong. And as always, it's all my fault." Chap. 1, p. 31

"After filling out some forms at the police station, the officer called Mother to inform her that I was not coming home that afternoon, and that she could call the county's juvenile authorities if she had any questions. I sat like a statue, feeling both horror and excitement as the officer spoke on the phone." Chap. 2, p. 37

"I had hoped he was taking me to some kind of jail, with all the other bad children - as Mother had programmed into me for so many years." Chap. 2, p. 38

"Everything was too good to be true - the freedom, the new clothes...