Rush

August 23, 2010
Friesen's (Jerk, California) sophomore effort mars the excitement of rappelling into wildfires with flat characters that seem more motivated by the needs of the plot than real development. Jake King feels compelled to risk his life, as the thrill of danger is one of the only things that brings him out of his mental cloud. Another such thing: the awkwardly named Salome Lee, his gorgeous neighbor who rejects all other boys as she holds out for Jake. When Jake gets kicked out of school for injuring someone during a stunt, his father pulls strings and gets him assigned to a group of elite firefighters who fight wildfires that are too tough for regular forces. He falls in with an elite subgroup known as the Immortals, and quickly realizes that there are more dangers in the wilderness than just the fires. Friesen never sells the romance between Salome and Jake, two 18-year-olds with almost no social skills, and too many of the other characters—notably Jake's father, his older brother, and an arrogant firefighter, Moxie—are paper-thin archetypes. Ages 12–up.

August 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-Jake is a daredevil who feels the constant need for an adrenaline rush. His reckless stunts have made him the town pariah; he's hurt others and gotten himself expelled. Then a situation arises, and Jake has a chance to prove his mettle with an elite crew of firefighters who rappel from helicopters into raging wildfires. The irony is that in the midst of the firefighting season Jake develops a healthy respect for danger as his relationship with longtime friend Salome evolves, and he finally feels as though he has something to lose. Fighting fires is risky work, but the unauthorized method that the team leader has devised to weed out the weak is even more brutal and dangerous. The fast-paced story moves back and forth through time and while readers come to understand Jake, sympathizing with his dysfunctional family requires more of a stretch. Some of the plot twists are confusing, e.g., the relationship between Salome and Jake's older brother is never made clear. However, teen readers, especially guys with a penchant for extreme adventure, may well overlook any shortcomings and plunge into the heart-pounding action as Jake battles blazes and uncovers sinister activity among his fellow firefighters.-Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2010
Grades 9-12 Eighteen-year-old Jakes latest stunt got him kicked out of school, but thats small potatoes to a kid who scales bare mountain rock in the pouring rain and dives off treacherous waterfalls without blinking. Its all for the rush, which erases the itching numbness of normal life; when free-falling, he thinks: Im Jake King, small and stupid and reeling with a glorious panic. Though he has avoided the firefighting life of his father and older brotherand much of their townnow it seems like the only way to salvage his troubled life. Just like that, he is hired on to a hotshot heli-rappeling crew alongside men so badass they debate dinner choices while beating back blazes. Quickly Jake clashes with Mox, the leader of an elite group called the Immortals, as well as a secret society called the Rush Cluba grim brotherhood of daredevils that Jake is simultaneously attracted to and repelled by. Friesens thrill ride benefits from its unusual setting and its pulse-pounding action (and romance!), making it go down like a six-pack of Red Bull.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)