Rose lives with her mother Valerie in a run-down cottage in an old part of town. Rose steals things. Valerie drinks. That's just the way it is. Whenever Rose gets caught, Valerie banishes her to the cramped, dusty attic - often for weeks at a time.Then one day Rose decides she's going to change her life: she's going to close that attic door forever. And that's exactly what she does.So why do the police suddenly want to speak with Rose again? Why does she have a shiny new watch she can't recall buying (or stealing!)? For that matter, why can't she seem to remember speaking with some people, being at various places, taking up smoking or making particular sketches and notes in her journal?And why is it that, as Rose lies awake at night with her covers pulled up to chin, she can hear something - bumps, shuffling steps and a girl's cough - coming from the attic?Girl in the Attic is a young adult mystery that explores themes of compulsive behaviour, addiction, the importance of family, the nature of chance and the role your choices play in shaping destiny.