While Jared and his coconspirators are intent on putting the Shadow Club behind them, someone is continuing the club's tradition of malicious tricks. Fans of the first book will be the audience for the second, which is essentially a reprise with a few small variations.

Coinciding with the re-release of Shusterman's first novel ( The Shadow Club , 1988), this sequel addresses the lingering consequences of hatred and revenge. Ninth-grader Jared Mercer wants desperately to be just another kid; but as the ex-leader of the Shadow Club, infamous for terrorizing outstanding students with nasty practical jokes, he remains the focus of lingering suspicion, resentment, and (most disturbing) admiration. His guilt over his actions turns to apprehension when superstar student Alec Smartz arrives, for Alec's competitive drive evokes as much jealousy as popularity. Sure enough, the pranks start up again—harmless at first, but progressively more sinister—and everyone, even his parents, is convinced that Jared is to blame. In order to protect Alec and clear his own name, Jared must become the monster that everyone assumes he already is. In one of those rare sequels that surpass the original, Shusterman delivers thrilling suspense through probing the dark side of the adolescent psyche. Nuanced characterization ensures that there are no clear-cut villains or heroes; even the upbeat ending has a disturbingly creepy edge. As a remorseful former menace, Jared is a less provocative character than the vengeful bully of the first novel, but he is also much more self-aware and likable. His wry observations on how good people can delude themselves into justifying the most appalling acts seem particularly timely. The mystery and nonstop action will draw teens in; but the uncomfortable questions raised about guilt and responsibility will linger on. (Fiction. 11-15)

Gr 7-10-Murky introspection by Jared, 15, gradually reveals that he had formed a secret club of kids who were always second best during the previous year (The Shadow Club [Little, Brown, 1988; o.p., Dutton, 2002]). The members tormented their betters in small, harmless ways that then escalated out of control, culminating in a terrible fire that Jared and a boy named Tyson barely survived. The club disbanded. Now Alec, a new kid, arrives at school acting as if he owns the place. He seems to excel at everything and soon becomes a target of just the kind of pranks the Shadow Club might have pulled-a hairball in his soft drink, a skunk tossed in his family's van, glue substituted for his hair gel. Jared knows he's not responsible, but isn't sure about the rest of the crew. His attempts to ferret out the truth climax in another life-and-death struggle in which the culprits are discovered and the tide is turned in favor of good deeds instead of harmful ones. Although the theme that people can make horrible mistakes and change for the better is worthwhile, the book is marred by shallow characterization and a screenplay-styled plot that includes several incidents that strain credibility to the breaking point. In what way is Tyson "creepy" and what makes him an expert coach for Jared in how to be unwholesome? What motivates one teen to be so mean and nasty? Readers won't know much about the answers to these questions if this book is read alone. Rereading the first one sheds a feeble light, but still may leave readers languishing too much in the dark.-Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

There's bound to be a disconnect for kids who haven't read Shadow Club (1988), which is actually being brought back into print to accompany the publication of this sequel. This story, full of creepy allusions to the previous book, takes up a few months after 14-year-old Jared, leader of the now-defunct Shadow Club (a group of kids whose resentful pranks become deadly), has turned over a new leaf. Unfortunately, it's tough to convince others that he's no longer the same guy, and when a new boy in school becomes the target of vicious pranksters, Jared is the prime suspect. Has the Shadow Club risen again, under new leadership? Jared has to find out. The ending is disappointing given the strong beginning and the thoughtful moral context, but kids will probably stick with it (and surely go back to the earlier book), and they'll come away with a fairly realistic take on how quickly people judge one another and how difficult it is to regain lost trust.