Stop Pretending

Cookie's older sister, the person she loves most, suddenly breaks down mentally and is admitted to a hospital. Cookie is left at home with a household shattered by grief, former friends who turn away from her, and a nagging dread that her own mind could give way someday too. Sones drew on her own family's experience, and the book examines mental illness from the inside, with occasional moments of beauty and hope.

The story unfolds through brief, intense poems that follow Cookie's emotional storm as it shifts from despair and anger to guilt and resentment, eventually arriving at acceptance. Its short verses hold little back, so the pain of the situation is felt directly rather than explained.

The book is a verse novel for teen readers and older. It has been in print for nearly twenty years and this edition comes with a new cover and bonus material.