Locke Vinetti

is a high school junior, disenchanted and more than a little hostile. In fact, for years he''s had a lousy social life because of a problem he has with his anger--a force he calls "the venom." Ever since he was eight years old and bit off a piece of a classmate''s nose, he''s been something of a loner. But all that is about to change when he goes out with his one friend, Randall, to meet some of Randall''s crew hanging out at Riverside Park. Because in addition to meeting his kindred spirit, Casey--who has his own problems with his own kind of venom--Locke meets the spikey blue fairy-haircut Goth girl of his dreams. And if their relationship is going to work, he knows he has to rid himself of the venom once and for all.

Interspersed with comic book adventures of the fantasy anti-hero alter-ego Locke has invented for himself, VENOMOUS is a fast-paced, funny, and ferocious read about one teenage boy''s struggle with his inner demons.