“You could say that my railroad, the Madham Line, is almost the most important thing in my life. Next to Andy Morrow, my best friend.” Andy and the model railroad on which Doug obsessively works are the two positive elements in Doug’s life. He’s the bullies’ target at school, and spying through her bedroom window at night is clearly the closest he’ll ever get to the girl of his dreams. Readers will soon question some of the holes in Doug’s unreliable narrative, especially why Andy, a popular athlete and actor, would stay so committed to a boy with whom he has nothing in common. And why does Doug always avoid commenting on what happened a few years ago at the Tuttle Place, an abandoned house where he and Andy used to spend time? Not even his therapist can get him to revisit those events. When Doug’s secret is revealed, readers may have seen it coming but will still be shaken by the unsettling reality of Doug’s mental illness in this disturbing and gripping story. (Ages 12–15)

You could say that my railroad, the Madham Line, is almost the most important thing in my life. Next to Andy Morrow, my best friend....I guess you could say that I'm not only disturbed, I'm obsessed.

Lots of people think Doug Hanson is a freak -- he gets beat up after school and the girl of his dreams calls him a worm. Doug's only refuge is building elaborate model trains in his basement and hanging out with his best friend, Andy Morrow. Andy is nothing like Doug: He's a popular football star who could date any girl in school. Despite their differences, Doug and Andy talk about everything -- except what happened at the Tuttle place a few years back.
As Doug retreats deeper and deeper into his own world, long-buried secrets come to light -- and the more he tries to keep them invisible, the looser his grip on reality becomes. In this fierce, disturbing novel, Pete Hautman spins a poignant tale about inner demons, and how far one boy will go to control them.