THE INFLUENCED

Set in the 1990s, eleven-year-old David moves from the inner city to the suburbs, but the severe beatings escalate, he is still impoverished and wearing mildewed clothes to school has made him a target for bullies. There is one person who brings him happiness, Samantha. David admires Samantha's joy for life, her beautiful Sunday dresses and her determination to find her dead mother's journal. But when David witnesses three suspicious men enter her home, he realizes Samantha has family secrets of her own. Now more than ever, David is desperate to do something to change their lives. However, without the right influences, how will they ever succeed?

In this captivating story of two children trying to find their way through adulthood, experience the impact just one person can have on a child's life. It's a thought-provoking story of love, tragedy and triumph, and one you will never forget.