Escape from Differe — Mikelyn H. Bolden

Joel's schoolmates call him "Crazy Moonie." Plagued by his internal voices, Joel has yet to find freedom at the one place his father declared could cure him. In fact, he finds the cure worse than the disease, and his reformatory school's attempts at brainwashing soon convince him that escape is his only chance to find a remedy. With the help of an insider, Joel journeys to a place he was told does not exist. Along the way, he picks up three unusual companions-a man who speaks in riddles, a hotheaded brunette, and her sickly brother. Each guards their own secrets as the four arrive in the mysterious region of Waiz where obvious conflicts between the North and South are brewing. As Joel explores traditional Old Waiz and unconventional New Waiz in search of his antidote, he becomes entangled in a heinous crime. Meanwhile, the headmaster is desperate to get him back and uses his past love as bait. Now hunted by the headmaster and the Watchman of Waiz, Joel is forced to decide whether freedom is within his grasp or if his greatest fear is true-Am I really crazy?