Porter, Max

This is the story of a few strange hours in the life of a troubled teenage boy. You mustn't do that to yourself Shy. You mustn't hurt yourself like that. He is wandering into the night listening to the voices in his head: his teachers, his parents, the people he has hurt and the people who are trying to love him. Got your special meds, nutcase? He is escaping Last Chance, a home for "very disturbed young men," and walking into the haunted space between his night terrors, his past, and the heavy question of his future.

In a London apartment, two young boys grieve their mother's sudden death. Their scholarly father, a scruffy romantic, envisions a future of well-meaning visitors and loneliness. During this time of despair they encounter Crow who antagonizes them, tricks them, heals them, and watches over them. The sentimental bird draws nearer to the grieving family and threatens to stay until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and their pain eventually lessens, the family finally begins to heal.