What happens when your greatest enemy is the one who needs you the most? Seventeen-year-old Dakota Lester's school year is going swimmingly. He's making the grades, pulling in serious cash at Pop's Diner and has recovered from last year's brush with death. But a string of mysterious text messages and a surprising visit from a former nemesis sets Dakota on edge. When the text messages begin to threaten his girlfriend, Dakota faces off against an all-too-familiar foe who is playing for keeps. In this third installment of Dakota Lester's world, Josh Clark explores the meaning of grace, second chances and the concept of "home." Dakota Denied is an oftengritty, always-honest glimpse into the life and mind of an American teenager seeking to understand the balance between friend and enemy.