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.

February 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Jake King, 18, relies on extreme sports for the adrenaline rush that clears his "brain cloud" and focuses his thoughts. He's suspended from school after a reckless climb up the town water tower severely injures a family friend. Jake spins his wheels, nursing a crush on girl-next-door Salome, until he gets an offer to join a crew of hotshot helicopter-rappelling firefighters known as the Immortals. His brother Scottie warns him that the Immortals are cursed, but for Jake the prospect of rappelling into a wildfire is too much to resist. Jake uncovers a secret society, the Rush Club, headed by menacing Immortals leader Mox Stone. Initiation involves risky stunts that have left numerous recruits dead. Jake opts in, hoping to destroy the Rush Club from the inside and stop these unnecessary deaths. By the time that Jake finally realizes that Salome is the only rush he really needs, it's too late to back out of the initiation, a dangerous cliff dive. It's unclear why Jake keeps Salome at arm's length for so long when they are clearly crazy about each other, and her motivations are confusing. Some listeners may find their attention flagging during the overly long sections between action scenes, but the allure of firefighting and a sinister secret society should help overcome these problems. Nick Landrum's smooth, restrained reading elevates Jonathan Friesen's uneven novel (Penguin/Speak, 2010).-Amy V. Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA

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