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Starred review from September 6, 2010
A sense of doom pervades this gripping YA debut from adult mystery writer Benoit, made all the more devastating by an empathetic main character. Second-person omniscient narration invites readers into Kyle's grim story: "Welcome to the official start of tenth grade. Welcome to the last year of your life." Previous bad choices have landed him at Midlands High, and as one of the school's burnout "Hoodies" (so-named for their requisite hooded sweatshirts), Kyle finds his world increasingly circumscribed. "Every day you get up, go to school, fake your way through your classes, come home, get hounded about your homework... and the next day you get to do it all over again." Bright but unmotivated, Kyle is easily swept into newcomer Zach's sinister orbit, as the wealthy and psychologically brutal Zach defends, charms, and then seeks to destroy him. Kyle's internal thought processes (frequent lists, parental nagging, one-sided conversations) convey a conflicting swirl of emotions—rage, distrust, betrayal, empathy, and love—while an overarching defeatism prevents him from acting on constructive impulses. Disturbing content blends with skillful, fast-paced writing, adding a thriller spin to the novel's vicious realism. Ages 12–up.

The listener becomes underachieving sophomore Kyle Chase in this thriller written in the second person. Narrator David Baker's deadpan tone tells you what you think, feel, and do as Kyle navigates a dreary high school existence full of judgmental adults, cruel teens, and boring classes. Baker's flat style makes it possible for listeners to easily put themselves in Kyle's shoes. His vivid character voices contrast vividly with Kyle's voice and fuel the story's conflicts, especially Kyle's encounters with the quirky but cruel new guy, Zack. This could be just an average story of teen ennui if you weren't kept busy trying to find out why there is so much blood and what choices led you to spill it. S.T.C. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine