'The bottom line- Your life's outcome is solely up to you. If you can get out of bed in the morning, go to the bathroom, get dressed and nuke something in the microwave without any help, then you are capable of doing, achieving and handling just about anything that life can throw at you. You can do this. You can live up to your potential. And at your age, frankly, I expect you to.'

Straight-talking, unpatronising, inspirational advice from bestselling author Dave Pelzer. Before he became a teenager, Pelzer was subjected to horrific physical and mental abuse from his mother. At the age of 12 he was rescued by his teachers and placed into foster care. During his teens the long road to recovery began and today Pelzer, now a father of a teenage son himself, spends much of his working life talking to young adults in schools and foster care centres. Pelzer's message is simple and powerful- identify problems, face them, think about where you want to be in life and never, ever give up on yourself.