Knifepoint

January 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-This book is a real thriller. Jill works on a ranch for the summer and she's just exhausted. Up at the crack of dawn, heavy manual labor, low pay, and job-shirking coworkers have pushed her to the breaking point. When she has an argument with her boss, she makes a bad decision and takes a cute guy on a trail ride without getting all the paperwork in order beforehand. He pulls a knife, and Jill's not sure that she can get out of this predicament-but she's going to use every ounce of her strength and all of her emotional resources to fight for her life. Easy to read and short, this page-turner will be in hot demand.-Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2010
Grades 7-12 Jill thinks she is going to have an idyllic summer when she takes a job as a guide leading horseback trail rides through the mountains. She quickly realizes, though, that her idealized vision is far from reality. Frustrated with her coworkers, who are more interested in each other than in their responsibilities, Jill heads off on a ride with a cute customer, and what she thinks will be a breezy escape turns into a nightmare. All the basic safety procedures Jill was taughtlogging in every trip, never leading a ride alonesuddenly make sense when she realizes that she is miles away from camp with a sadistic killer. This debut, part of the Orca Soundings series, may be a short page-turner, but it certainly isnt tame. From the moment Jill and her sociopathic tourist head into the mountains until her final, harrowing escape, the suspense is palpable. Both reluctant and avid readers who enjoy nail-biting tension will race through to find out whether Jill reaches safety.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)