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Summary
Summary
Winner of the Mystery Writers of America's 2011 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Fiction
American Library Association Quick Picks for Young Adults
Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
Eyewitness to two killings, fourteen-year-old Gabriel James relates the shocking story behind the murders in a police interrogation interspersed with flashbacks. Step by step, this Montana teenager traces his discovery of a link between a troubled classmate's disturbing home life and an outbreak of local crime. In the process, however, Gabriel becomes increasingly confused about his own culpability for the explosive events that have unfolded.
Author Notes
Charlie Price works with kids in at-risk schools, mental institutions and psychiatric hospitals. He is also an executive coach and a consultant who conducts business workshops. He lives in Northern California.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-As a witness to a double murder, Gabriel James is the key to helping the police understand who is responsible for potential hate crimes, numerous counts of animal cruelty, arson, drug transactions, and even potential child abuse. Through the police interview and several flashbacks, Gabriel shares his story of how just wanting to fit in and, maybe, find a girlfriend, lead him to find out more about his town and eventually, himself, than he ever really wanted to know. Slow to start, this story eventually becomes interesting. However, the interview setup weakens the story as the majority of events are described instead of actually experienced. Frequently, conversations between James and the police officers become unbelievable as the cops share way more information than necessary in order to fill readers in on plot details. Overall, the murder mystery might intrigue some teens but most will probably quit reading before getting too involved in this book.-Jessie Spalding, Tempe Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Price's (Lizard People) taut thriller takes place during the police questioning of high school sophomore Gabe, who has witnessed a murder he might be partly responsible for. Switching between the interrogation room and Gabe's memories, the teenager's first-person narration is sparse, giving necessary information but moving forward quickly. Gabe lives in Billings, Mont., and as part of his school's cross-country team, he witnesses firsthand the harassment of Danny Two Bull, a Native American teen recruited to run for the team. Gabe has also just been dramatically dumped by his girlfriend, so when he learns that a fellow classmate, who lives out on a former commune, may be interested in him, he follows her home, even after she rebuffs him, and discovers disturbing secrets about her family life. These and other strands combine in a series of events that lead up to the climactic murder scene. Tension builds effectively, and the final revelations, including those that involve Gabe's own family, do not disappoint. The fast pace, dark mood, and well-plotted story line should have readers hooked. Ages 13-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A teenage witness being interrogated by the police provides his account of a double homicide. His answers, along with flashbacks, reveal the shocking secrets that led to the deaths. Seemingly unrelated people and events start to draw together toward a conclusion that will have readers on the edge of their seats. The story is plot-driven and fast-paced with some intriguing characters. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Suspense and mystery dominate this exciting double-layered story of a misfit high-school boy giving evidence to the police after a multiple shooting. Price alternates scenes between the often-contentious interrogation and Gabriel's more expansive memories of the events leading to his testimony. The author deftly manages the plot so that readers eventually may suspect that unreliable narrator Gabriel could be the culprit. Gabriel certainly has his own emotional problems and comes perilously close to stalking a girl he believes may be abused. He spies on the remains of a former hippie cult, even when it becomes clear that the cult and the characters surrounding it are dangerous. The author writes intriguing and believable characters and keeps a stream of realism moving through the story even when neither readers nor Gabriel are really sure what's going on. Patience from readers won't be required, though, as plenty of action keeps the narrative moving while the plot details unfold. The result is not only suspense but a memorable and believable characterization. Top notch. (Thriller. YA)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Starting with the end result two dead teens and fleshing out details via an interrogation, this mystery-thriller maintains its momentum by keeping the carrot ever one step ahead of the reader. Montana teen Gabriel James gets hauled in for questioning, not as a suspect (yet) but as a material witness. He reveals piecemeal to his interrogators, and readers, the threads that mesh at the center of a complex web. They involve a string of hate crimes directed at a new classmate from a nearby reservation, an influx of drugs doled out to the homeless and derelict by two teen dealers, and a defunct commune whose unhinged leader makes his teen children parade about naked, and likely do worse, at home. In true plucky teen fashion, Gabe takes it upon himself to work out how all the pieces fit together, and in so doing, he amplifies the disastrous outcome. As with the finest interrogation dramas, like the movie The Usual Suspects, the final reveal is both satisfying and surprising, but it's the well-structured and well-paced buildup that's most worth relishing.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist