Blackbird

October 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Fast-paced second-person narration places readers squarely in the head of an amnesiac teen girl who only knows that she has a blackbird tattoo on her wrist and that someone is trying to kill her. Quickly adopting the nickname Sunny, the main character soon finds herself framed for theft. Not trusting the police, she manages to find sanctuary among a group of wealthy Los Angeles teens. Romantic tension builds between the protagonist and Ben, her rescuer. Sunny soon discovers abilities she didn't know she had: being able to dodge assassin's bullets and also excelling in close hand-to-hand combat when cornered by pursuers. Tantalizing flashes of memories, along with clues from her assailants, reveal that Sunny is a family-less teen runaway who depended on a handsome friend to survive the rigors of being hunted by the jaded elite. Plenty of plot twists will leave readers guessing as to who is trustworthy. Inspired by Richard Connell's classic short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," the novel draws to a satisfying close but leaves plenty of room for a sequel.-Madigan McGillicuddy, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, Atlanta, GA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2014
A young woman runs from unknown enemies in this heart-pounding mystery.Sunny (real name unknown) wakes on a Los Angeles subway track, a train hurtling toward her and no memory of who she is or how she got there. She escapes before the police can ask questions but quickly finds herself fleeing violent strangers who seem hell-bent on killing her. She has few clues to her identity: a blackbird and a short string of numbers and letters freshly tattooed on her wrist and a knapsack containing a small notebook in which a cryptic message instructs her to call an unfamiliar phone number, $1,000 in cash, a pocketknife and a can of Mace. Dreams of running from danger with a boy she doesn't recognize but with whom she may have been in love could hold the key to Sunny's past. The action never stops, as Sunny is framed for robbery and arson, while a mysterious man focused on revenge hunts her down. Sunny's story is told through a flawless second-person narration, but the use of third-person to convey the viewpoints of several secondary characters knocks readers out of the carefully constructed, intensely immediate position of protagonist.This edgy, action-packed thriller gives future genre offerings something to aspire to. (Thriller. 15-18)

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