Chamblain, Joris

Cici, being a future writer, always knows where to look to find the clues she needs to get people to open up their hearts--but even Cici, who may be good at helping others, has problems of her own, painful secrets buried in her heart. Her mom and friends want to help Cici heal, so they take her on a trip to a mysterious mansion, on a treasure hunt, and to a beach where an epic fight breaks out, which may help Cici open up at last.

"Everyone has secrets, but no one can hide them from Cici! As a future writer, Cici knows what questions to ask and where to find the clues she needs to unlock people's hearts. Yet even though Cici is great at helping others, for a long time now she has kept a dark and painful secret hidden inside herself. Cici's friends and mom all want to help her heal, but she keeps pushing them away. Can a treasure hunt, a mysterious mansion, and an epic beachside fight help her to open up at last?--Back cover.

"Cici dreams of being a novelist. Her favorite subject: people, especially adults. She's been watching them and taking notes. Everybody has one special secret, Cici figures, and if you want to write about people, you need to understand what's hiding inside them. But now she's discovered something truly strange: an old man who disappears into the forest every Sunday with huge pots of paint in all sorts of colors"--Amazon.

In a graphic novel interwoven with journal notes, scrapbook pieces, and doodles, Cici assembles clues about the odd and wonderful people she's uncovered.