End Times

Gr 10 Up—After Daphne kills her abusive stepfather in self-defense, she hopes she can escape her past by moving in with relatives in Carbon County, Wyoming. When her arrival is literally heralded by trumpets, and then she discovers oil on her uncle's land, county residents aren't sure if she's the best good luck charm ever, or someone to be feared. Her dippy 17-year-old cousin Janie is pregnant, and Doug, the biggest jerk in town, is the reluctant daddy. He makes it his personal mission to torture Daphne after she rejects his advances. Smoking hot newcomer Owen starts to work on the oil rig with Daphne, and as more and more strange events plague the small town, pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place for the two of them—and it's not a pretty picture. Is the end of the world at hand? While some choppy perspective changes and a few underdeveloped plot points detract a little from the overall effect, this is still a promising start to what is clearly a planned series. Cousin Janie provides much needed comic relief to the overall dark feel, and the story moves along at a relentless pace.—Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX