Now in a new paperback edition! From the award-winning author, Jill MacLean, comes a free-verse story about a boy, a dog, and the way they save each other.

“The hard-won hopefulness of Nix’s growth will linger with [readers] long after the poetry ends.”—School Library Journal  

Nix Humbolt doesn’t talk much. He lies low at school, and at home, Nix finds refuge in his father’s woodshop where he builds intricate boxes and tables—and avoids arguments with his older sister, Roxy. She is loud, confident, rebellious, and the polar-opposite of Nix. Though he loves her, she can really annoy him sometimes—especially when she decides to date Bryan Sykes. The guy is seriously toxic, but Roxy won’t listen to facts, so what can Nix do? The only battles he ever fights are on his Xbox—until the day he finds the guts to fight for Swiff Dunphy’s neglected dog. Twig won’t win any beauty contests, but Nix is determined to save her. And when the unimaginable happens, could Twig be the one who saves him?

Award-winning author, Jill MacLean, brings Nix’s free-verse story to life with poignancy and heart. Jill is the author of five novels for older juvenile and young adult readers. Nix Minus One is a prestigious White Ravens Selection and Bank Street Best Book.