About this title: After a shy student from a New England beach town dies from an apparent suicide, 15-year-old Terry Novak decides to investigate. But asking questions puts him in danger, and a retired boxer teaches the boy to use his head.
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Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Philomel Books
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780399247750ISBN:0399247750
Description: Good. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 210 p. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Description: Satisfaction Guaranteed. Shipped quickly. 2008. Hardcover. Used, very good. Very good overall with light to moderate wear. No dust jacket. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Philomel Books
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780399247750ISBN:0399247750
Description: Good. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 210 p. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Group Usa
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780142414392ISBN:0142414395
Description: After a shy student from a New England beach town dies from an apparent suicide, 15-year-old Terry Novak decides to investigate. But asking questions puts him in danger, and a retired boxer teaches the boy to use his head. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780142414392ISBN:0142414395
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Edition: First edition. Advanced Reading Copy.
Publisher: Philomel Books
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780399247750ISBN:0399247750
Description: Fair. No dust jacket as issued. Advance Uncorrected Proof, First Edition Softcover, Some edge wear, Clean text, Tight binding. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 210 p. Audience: Children/juvenile; Young adult. read more
"I really liked this book. A lot. My only issue (and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5) is that I didn't feel that the house situation was resolved well enough for me as a reader. Yes, I understand that from the perspective of the protagonist, he may never have that information. But as a reader, I really wanted to know how many houses, how did they think they were going to get away with it, how many had they sold, etc.
I loved Terry and Abby. LOVED THEM. I felt that their conversations and their dialogue had a very real feel to them. They weren't on the nose about anything, really, and I could believe them as kids. They were smart, they were more grown up then most adults give kids that age credit for and yet, they WEREN'T adults.
The choices that they made were incredible. I liked that Terry got involved because he just didn't believe that Jason would kill himself. So he starts asking questions and as he runs into more and more road blocks, he becomes more and more determined. He wasn't a kid who had dreams of being a detective. He didn't pretend to be a cop. He is simply a kid who needs to find the answers, including what it means to be a man and an adult.
Abby was great. She feels the same way re: Jason's death and offers up what she could- a network of people who were willing to help, for whatever reason. I felt that she and Terry were a good team and I can see them together in the future, even as they mature even more in adulthood.
The very gentle love story aspect really rang true for me. The balance of physical needs and wants with the understanding that the emotional may be more important- that was fantastic.
I felt that the villains were actually scary in a very real sense. There was a sense of danger, that there wasn't anything that could really protect these kids if Mr. Ballard really wanted them dead- even if they weren't fully aware of the real danger, the reader WAS.
I liked George. He had a touch of the "Magical Negro" character to him but I felt that he was actually sketched out a bit more than, say, Bagger Vance. He had some really great lessons that Terry needed to learn and it didn't feel a preachy as it could have.
The drug information did feel a bit info dumpy, although that made sense in the context of the scenes that it was presented in.
This did feel a bit "Spencer Lite" but that was okay. I really love Spencer as a character and the idea of exploring a character with similar belief systems who is following a similar path but BEFORE he gets to the point in his life like where we met Spencer- that's really intriguing.
I love Parker's style. I think he has such a way with dialogue, with people and with story that I'll pick up any book that he wants to write. There are flaws here- it's not perfect- but it's a fun, fast read that does have depth and heart. I'd love to read more about Terry and Abby."
"not one specific hero. high school kid who boxers thinks a suggestion of "suicide " is wrong. interesting comparisons to heros in other parker fiction. very short book for parker. good read."
"I haven't ever read a Robert B. Parker novel, and I can understand what everyone is saying about his incredible dialogue. Terry is not an overly complicated boy, with the basic motivations of an essentially good person. He is head-over-heels for the flirtatious, intelligent Abby, and the two of them banter continually about sex even though they've never had it and aren't sure they want to have it. The zen-like wisdom of the capable George balances the easy back and forth of the pair and the chatter of their friends. The mystery is not particularly mysterious, violent, or particularly surprising at its conclusion, but that takes nothing away from Terry's investigations, which unites kids from all classes and cliques. Wonderful book."
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