Becoming 9

Niamh Lynch tries not to be angry. While her older brother and sister feel the weight of their situation on their shoulders every moment of the day, Niamh chooses to be gentle. She's always been forgiving, up until her father does something she doesn't think she'll ever be able to forgive to one of her friends. While the world collapses around her, she finds solace in a reserved boy who's sick and tired of keeping his stepbrother's secrets.

Owen Gibson is nothing like his brother. He doesn't think he's much like his father either, even though that's all he's ever wanted. With a dead twin and a father he can't remember, Owen has only known tragedy since before he was in primary school. After being a "depressed loner" for his entire life, with a single friend in the world, he finally meets his brother's rugby-obsessed friends, including one with a bright-eyed younger sister that makes him want to spill all of his secrets.