Telling Christina Goodbye

July 1, 2002
Gr 6-10 -Trisha is enjoying her senior year and planning to attend college in her home state, Indiana, with her longtime boyfriend, Cody. She's especially excited for her best friend, Christina, who's been offered a scholarship to the University of Vermont, which Trisha sees as an opportunity for the teen to get away from her controlling boyfriend, Tucker. Tension mounts when the four attend a basketball game together and Tucker starts a fight with a boy who talks to Christina. On the way home, the two couples have a car accident that leaves Christina dead and Cody in a coma. After the tragedy, the story and the characters become less one-dimensional and syrupy. The question of what caused the accident provides some suspense; along with the quick pace and easy dialogue, the novel will hold the interest of McDaniel's fans. -Rebecca Hogue Wojahn, Riverside Middle School, Watertown, WI

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.