ALA Booklist

It was really only a matter of time. Having limbered up with two previous YA novels, Parker now begins a series starring his detective hero, Spenser, as a teen. He frames the narrative by having an adult Spenser relating childhood stories to the love of his life, Susan, an unnecessary device that might simply keep teens reading at arm's length. Addressing how his tough and upright personality developed, it turns out he was reared by three of the toughest and most upright guys in town, his father and uncles. The men teach the boy that there's legal, and then there's right, and that "If it's not worth fighting about, then it's not worth a lot of mouth." And wouldn't you know it, there's plenty worth fighting about, and even at a young age Spenser has perfected the art of the steely gaze and terse response. The morality questions that he cuts his teeth on involve a violently alcoholic father and an epidemic of racial bullying but mostly provide an opportunity to buttress Spenser's almost corny t undeniably entertaining tion of manliness. A clean, sharp jab of a read.

Horn Book

This volume gives readers a glimpse into the early life of Parker's hard-boiled detective. In short, terse chapters, the text relates how Spenser helped his friends Jeannie, whose abusive father tried to kidnap her, and Aurelio, a Mexican American facing prejudice. Alternating between present-day conversation and reminiscent storytelling, Parker provides an intriguing look at how Spenser's teenage experiences helped shape his character.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Parker introduces young readers to private investigator Spenser, star of his bestselling adult novels, at age 14. Short chapters and Spenser’s signature quick-fire delivery propel the story, which reveals the ways young Spenser uses the survival skills and scruples passed on to him by his loving, wise father and the two uncles who are raising him in a small town (“They took turns with everything.... So none of them got ground down, so to speak, by being the only parent”). Knowing when to defend himself and when to run away comes in handy when the teen encounters a black bear in the woods, rescues his friend from her drunken, gun-toting father and is ambushed by a gang of racist thugs after he protects a bullied Mexican peer. The narrative alternates between the youth’s adventures and the reminiscences of an adult Spenser, who appears with his longtime love interest, Susan, in less compelling, present-day chapters in which he—at her prodding—offers insight into his past. Carefully tempered emotion, full-throttle suspense and subtle humor should win Parker’s (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Edenville Owls) detective enthusiastic new fans. Ages 12–up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Parker's well-known detective hero, Spenser, reminisces to his beloved wife, Susan, about his Western childhood and workingman values bestowed upon him by his father and two uncles. The flashbacks derive from the lad's motherless household, in which Spenser is encouraged to throw punches at his uncles, who were accomplished boxers, and to learn how to defend himself against bullies. In another memory, young Spenser comes face to face with an angry black bear while bird hunting and stands his ground, though he is ultimately saved by his father's more powerful gun. This incident mentally prepares him for the dramatic tracking and rescue of a friend who was abducted by her abusive and alcoholic father. Parker's portrayal of Spenser's bravado in facing the bowie knife-wielding individual and escaping downriver is a compelling page-turner, and the man's demise shocking. This glimpse into the past explains much of the adult Spenser's backbone, though the stop-and-reflect method of storytelling may appeal more to adults than to teens who like their action uninterrupted, such as in his Edenville Owls (Philomel, 2007). Parker's dialogue-driven style and spare vocabulary are comparable to Gary Paulsen's The Beet Fields (Delacorte, 2000). Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Voice of Youth Advocates

ParkerÆs second young adult novel, following Edenville Owls (Sleuth/Penguin, 2007/VOYA June 2007), is a prequel to the authorÆs famous Spenser series, now totaling three dozen adult crime thrillers. Here the hard-boiled Boston private detective recollects episodes from his childhood and early teen years, at the request of his lady friend, Susan. Readers learn that Spenser lost his mother at an early age and that he was raised by his father and two uncles, who modeled a strong male code of ethics while instructing the lad in the culinary and pugilistic arts. Most action occurs during SpenserÆs fifteenth year. After bravely rescuing his classmate, Jeannie, from her violent, drunken father, he finds himself in a tricky romantic entanglement. Then, having defending a Mexican boy from bullies, he is caught up in a local rivalry between white and Mexican gangs. These conflicts call on Spenser for just those qualities that will make him such an appealing character as an adult: chivalry towards women, rejection of bigotry, independent judgment, and a readiness to use his fists in defense of those values. For fans of the adult Spenser novels and television episodes, this book is a treasure trove of new stories about the formative years of a renowned fictional heroùalthough he still has no first name. Through SusanÆs probing questions and SpenserÆs responses, readers get a clear picture of how the boy evolved into the man. It is a superb choice for reluctant male readers, with short chapters, snappy dialogue, and plenty of physical action.ùWalter Hogan.