School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Being the new kid in school is always difficult, but it is especially hard for a scholarship student now in an exclusive Christian school where his divorced mother is the secretary. From the first day, Paul Richmond has problems with the charismatic leader of the in crowd, Charlie Goode. As the year progresses, he is tormented and verbally abused, but finds himself caught up in Charlie's group, which "courts" him in the evenings. A couple of other students try to warn him about his new friends, but outsider Paul is much too happy about being included to heed their warnings. The plot intensifies when Paul helps Charlie change grades on the school computers and set a bomb in one of the classrooms. No one is hurt, but Paul discovers that he has been set up as the scapegoat, and he recounts the events that lead to his arrest and imprisonment. In this intense story of peer pressure and the need to be accepted, the characters are realistically drawn and reflect the nature of high school relationships. Flinn states in her author's note that she wrote about one young man who reached his breaking point and that she has tried to understand what makes teens feel so angry, fearful, and isolated that they commit acts of violence. She has succeeded in her goal. Despite his actions, Paul comes across as a likable, although misguided, teen in a book that is well worth reading.-Janet Hilbun, formerly at Sam Houston Middle School, Garland, TX Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

ALA Booklist

Handicapped by his compromised status at a rich kids' private high school--he is new and his mother works at the school--Paul longs for social acceptance. His estranged father won't return his phone calls. His emotionally fragile mother relies on him in spite of his youth. Eventually, Charlie, one of the most prestigious kids on campus, seems to court him as a friend. Paul's escapades with Charlie, however, have a distinctly dangerous side; there's a mailbox-bashing incident followed by hacking into the school computer. Paul feels suspicious about some campus events, and he is particularly sickened by the school's response to a suicide. A final conflagration brings Charlie's motives into clear focus, but by then, it's too late. Flinn returns to themes of abusive teen relationships that she explored in her debut novel Breathing Underwater (2001). Grim and emotional, this is cathartic reading for teens who wonder how anyone could have a worse set of circumstances than their own.

Horn Book

Desperate to be accepted at his new private high school, Paul falls under the influence of a popular but troubled classmate, who convinces him to plant a bomb at school. This disturbing novel looks at many areas of culpability, including what responsibility adults and other students bear for Paul's actions. While the characters are drawn with fairly broad strokes, this is a compelling look at a complex issue.

Kirkus Reviews

Why does a seemingly nice boy become violent? Narrator Paul, an "army brat," starts with many counts against him. His parents have recently divorced, his military father has rejected him, and his mother relies on Paul for serious emotional support. Mother and son have moved so that the mother can take a low-paying office job at an exclusive Christian high school. But as an employee's son, Paul is harassed by the nasty rich kids, with the exception of a non-conformist named Binky. When Charlie (a golden boy with a Machiavellian nature) befriends him, Paul will do anything to be part of his popular crowd. It's clear to the reader, and spelled out by Binky, that Charlie is using Paul, ultimately to commit a crime that lands Paul in the justice system. Unfortunately, Charlie's motivations are obscure. Is he angry with his pushy parents? Or just naturally evil? Paul has reasons to lash out, but he is excessively clueless, apparently because he was home-schooled, and is not especially likable. All adults are portrayed as selfish and irresponsible, including the administrators who ignore a decapitated dog and a suicide at the school. But even with his bleak surroundings, it's hard to believe Paul would carry out the terrible felony. The story does build suspense, and teenagers will recognize cruel aspects of high school, but unlike Flinn's Breathing Underwater (2000), which broke new ground about date violence, this novel is just one more variation on the familiar theme of paying a high price for popularity. (Fiction. YA)