MCCLINTOCK, Norah

Gr 7 Up—Robbie witnesses a murder, and his friend Boone convinces him not to go to the police or tell anyone else. When Robbie is killed soon afterward, Boone has to decide if keeping silent is really the best thing to do, especially since it didn't save his friend. This book is filled with mixed messages that will be loud and clear to teens. On the one hand, if you see something, you should say something or suffer the consequences. But on the other hand, if you do say something you might get killed anyway. Little by little, readers start to get some insight into why Boone is so reluctant to speak out-his mother tried to right an injustice (telling the cops about her boss) and was killed soon afterward. But this insight might come a little too late for readers to find sympathy for Boone, who spends most of the story lying to everyone. Deas's rough artwork is predominantly in black and white, with occasional jarring splashes of red. The action is fast paced, and even the drawings feel frenetic at times. As more and more characters die, the mixed messages ultimately resolve into The Thing That Boone Is Supposed To Do, which he ultimately does. But by then, several characters (and perhaps also some readers) have already judged Boone for the deadly consequences of his inactions and decided that he is past the point of redemption.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library