The Day I Killed James

June 1, 2008
Gr 9 Up-Theresa's neighbor James has a huge, unrequited crush on her. Theresa loves Randy, who keeps breaking up with her. At a party, she uses James, with his permission, to make Randy jealous. It works: he takes her back, but James leaves the party and drives off a cliff. Convinced she is responsible for his death, Theresa runs away from home, takes on a new identity, and becomes involved in the troubled life of the young girl next door. Her involvement with this child runs deep enough to entwine their lives, and myriad difficulties ensue. When Theresa takes on her new identity, the perspective shifts (first person to third person). This is a bit gimmicky, but it does convey the teen's emotions in trying to escape herself. The author is ambitious and attempts to cover a lot of ground. Theresa has a lot on her plate just trying to deal with her own issues, but by adding abused children, Hyde complicates the protagonist's healing process immensely. Although the teen does grow and has a major turning point, it feels rather forced. The book is filled with snappy, sarcastic, sitcom dialogue and stock charactersthe confused teen, the user boyfriend, the tough kid with the soft center. Still, the pacing is brisk, and the story is edgy and bold, with drinking, smoking, runaways, sexual banter, flirting, and murder. Older teens will be captivated, and the cover does a terrific job of selling the book."Geri Diorio, The Ridgefield Library, CT"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.