Friendships confront the force of authority in these raw, powerful stories.

When the new kid from Afghanistan is put in Martin's class, Martin ridicules his clothes and nicknames him "Taliban." But the two realize they have more in common than they thought and unexpectedly become friends -- until a brutal drug bust at school tears them apart . . . maybe forever. Descent into Paradise confronts the hypocrisies of Western society and questions whether we aren't all just strangers in a foreign land.

When a teenage boy starts making movies of his classmates kissing, some people think it's odd. But in A Place to Live, the aspiring filmmaker's project turns into a compelling protest against authoritarianism that could get him kicked out of school, and it also risks exposing his surprising feelings for his best friend.

These two provocative tales reveal the consequences of standing up for yourself -- and for your friends.

Annick Press is pleased to announce the launch of Single Voice, a groundbreaking and provocative new young-adult fiction series in which no subject is off limits. These tightly paced stories deliver blow after powerful blow with their unflinching honesty, original subject matter and startling twists. Told in the voice of teen narrators at crucial moments in their lives, each story explodes with the urgency, drama and confusion of adolescence.

Most importantly, these short yet finely honed literary works will appeal to both avid and less experienced readers. Each book consists of two separate but thematically connected stories with distinct inverted covers in an alluring "flip-book" format.

Under the guiding hand of series editor and award-winning author Melanie Little (The Apprentice's Masterpiece, Confidence), the series is comprised of works from distinguished writers whose fiction has been recognized internationally.

"There's an urgency to the stories -- they read in one go. Like a punch in the stomach. In your head. In your heart." -- Le Vif / L'express