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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
A Young Adult novel that asks some hard questions.
My Take
WOW! This was fabulous and terrifying. I love the idea of Period 8 and a teacher like Logs. It should be a requirement in every school, except it wouldn't work, but the concept is...wow.
No, Period 8 isn't deep philosophy. It's more of a peek into high school life and students' thoughts as Crutcher sets up the background for the suspense of the story, and he does a good job of stretching it out, keeping us in suspense. Nor does he ever provide concluding details which is what brings it down a point for me. Just way too many loose threads and no real conclusion.
I feel so bad for Paulie. His parents are off-again and on-again because his dad can't keep it in his pants and his mom keeps caving because she loves him. And Paulie's got his perspective on this. I love that he lays it out there for his dad. And it shocks me that his dad is so childish about this.
Most of it is a slice of real life. It's the suspense aspect that takes it into a whole 'nother realm with one student with Jekyll-Hyde reactions and another who's "caring" for everyone.
What I liked about this story is the introspection on Paulie's part. He's a good kid with good morals, trying to do the right thing. Its high school issues that are used to create the emotions, the stresses that turn out to be clues to something so much deeper.
The most terrifying part for me turned out to be Landry's taunting in that last scene. I was so afraid they'd turn on him.
I did like Logs' advice at the end: "Don't listen to me." It was so not what I wanted to hear, but very real.
The Story
It's bad judgment, but an honest one, on Paulie's part. In many ways, however, it will be a salvation for future victims as it provides Paulie with an inside track on one victim.
The Characters
Paul Baum, a.k.a., Paulie Bomb, is an open-water swimmer and a student at Heller High. Roger Baum is his philandering father, a trait that Paulie is terrified he's inherited. Lilly Baum is his mom.
Classmates in Period 8 include:
Hannah Murphy is Paulie's girlfriend until he confesses. Justin Chenier is his best friend. Josh "Tak" Takeuchi is on the wrestling team; Marley Waits; Taylor Max; and, Kylie Clinton, a new student, has issues at home.
Mary Wells has an über controlling father and is known throughout the school as the Virgin Mary---no boy dares to get near her! Arney Stack is the ultimate politician and the student body president, albeit as a high school student, saying and promising whatever he has to, manipulating to get what he wants. Bobby Wright is a shy, insecure guy.
Bruce "Logs" Logsdon teaches science and social studies, runs Period 8 at lunchtime, and does open-water swimming with Paulie. It's his last year teaching before his retirement. Dr. Marj Johannsen is the principal.
Other students include:
Ron Firth, Carrie Morales, and their friends are part of a religious group.
Officer Rankin is the cop to whom all the Mary Wells problems fall. Woody Hansen is one of the businessmen in Arney's project. Naomi Washburn is a friend of Paulie's mom's. Miriam Wells is Mary's doormat of a mother with no clue what her daughter is thinking; Becca is Mary's younger sister. Arnold Stack Sr. needs to be shot. Rick Praeger manages the Comfort Inn. Landry Faulk is Justin's stepdad.
The Cover
The cover is weird. It's Paulie doing push-ups on a red carpet above a night scene of escape, of Logs attempting to hold on, to survive in the water.
The title is the class, a placeholder for students with nothing scheduled for that hour but lunch, Period 8, when philosophy and the travails of their lives are pondered.
My Take
WOW! This was fabulous and terrifying. I love the idea of Period 8 and a teacher like Logs. It should be a requirement in every school, except it wouldn't work, but the concept is...wow.
No, Period 8 isn't deep philosophy. It's more of a peek into high school life and students' thoughts as Crutcher sets up the background for the suspense of the story, and he does a good job of stretching it out, keeping us in suspense. Nor does he ever provide concluding details which is what brings it down a point for me. Just way too many loose threads and no real conclusion.
I feel so bad for Paulie. His parents are off-again and on-again because his dad can't keep it in his pants and his mom keeps caving because she loves him. And Paulie's got his perspective on this. I love that he lays it out there for his dad. And it shocks me that his dad is so childish about this.
Most of it is a slice of real life. It's the suspense aspect that takes it into a whole 'nother realm with one student with Jekyll-Hyde reactions and another who's "caring" for everyone.
What I liked about this story is the introspection on Paulie's part. He's a good kid with good morals, trying to do the right thing. Its high school issues that are used to create the emotions, the stresses that turn out to be clues to something so much deeper.
The most terrifying part for me turned out to be Landry's taunting in that last scene. I was so afraid they'd turn on him.
I did like Logs' advice at the end: "Don't listen to me." It was so not what I wanted to hear, but very real.
The Story
It's bad judgment, but an honest one, on Paulie's part. In many ways, however, it will be a salvation for future victims as it provides Paulie with an inside track on one victim.
The Characters
Paul Baum, a.k.a., Paulie Bomb, is an open-water swimmer and a student at Heller High. Roger Baum is his philandering father, a trait that Paulie is terrified he's inherited. Lilly Baum is his mom.
Classmates in Period 8 include:
Hannah Murphy is Paulie's girlfriend until he confesses. Justin Chenier is his best friend. Josh "Tak" Takeuchi is on the wrestling team; Marley Waits; Taylor Max; and, Kylie Clinton, a new student, has issues at home.
Mary Wells has an über controlling father and is known throughout the school as the Virgin Mary---no boy dares to get near her! Arney Stack is the ultimate politician and the student body president, albeit as a high school student, saying and promising whatever he has to, manipulating to get what he wants. Bobby Wright is a shy, insecure guy.
Bruce "Logs" Logsdon teaches science and social studies, runs Period 8 at lunchtime, and does open-water swimming with Paulie. It's his last year teaching before his retirement. Dr. Marj Johannsen is the principal.
Other students include:
Ron Firth, Carrie Morales, and their friends are part of a religious group.
Officer Rankin is the cop to whom all the Mary Wells problems fall. Woody Hansen is one of the businessmen in Arney's project. Naomi Washburn is a friend of Paulie's mom's. Miriam Wells is Mary's doormat of a mother with no clue what her daughter is thinking; Becca is Mary's younger sister. Arnold Stack Sr. needs to be shot. Rick Praeger manages the Comfort Inn. Landry Faulk is Justin's stepdad.
The Cover
The cover is weird. It's Paulie doing push-ups on a red carpet above a night scene of escape, of Logs attempting to hold on, to survive in the water.
The title is the class, a placeholder for students with nothing scheduled for that hour but lunch, Period 8, when philosophy and the travails of their lives are pondered.
viviennemorgain's review against another edition
5.0
Whoa! I expected a simple bullying story and got way more, than that.
I really enjoyed the banter, it was brilliant.
Even though you can pretty easily figure out who's the bully early on, it's a great book and definitely worth reading. The drama will keep you up reading while you keep biting your nails.
While I loved the cover I haven't managed to figure out what's it got to do with the story.
I really enjoyed the banter, it was brilliant.
Even though you can pretty easily figure out who's the bully early on, it's a great book and definitely worth reading. The drama will keep you up reading while you keep biting your nails.
While I loved the cover I haven't managed to figure out what's it got to do with the story.
nklosty's review against another edition
4.0
This novel pushes some of the limits. I wasn't surprised by many of the elements, but the storyline kept me interested. The message of how well we know people kept me thinking. I love the idea of a teacher that kids trust enough to go to when times are down. 94
erincataldi's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fast read, and I had it knocked out in about three hours. Chris Crutcher does a great job keeping you at the edge of your seat, guessing as to what is about to happen next. And it's no use, because you won't figure out what in the hell is going on until the end.
Period 8 is an hour long hang out/lunch time/open discussion that students at Heller High can participate in. The only only rules are that you have to keep it real (no lying and be honest) and what gets discussed in Period 8, STAYS in Period 8.
The truth isn't always simple though, when Paulie tells his girlfriend Hannah that he cheated on her, shit hits the fan and it seems to start a chain of events that no one could have foreseen. Mr. Logs, their trusty teacher, tries to hold the glue together, but easier said than done. When Mary goes missing, everyone in Period 8 realize that someone is lying. Can Paulie and Hannah pull through and settle their differences and work together to help find Mary? Why did Mary run away? All these questions and more build up until the fiery conclusion.
Great page turner!
Period 8 is an hour long hang out/lunch time/open discussion that students at Heller High can participate in. The only only rules are that you have to keep it real (no lying and be honest) and what gets discussed in Period 8, STAYS in Period 8.
The truth isn't always simple though, when Paulie tells his girlfriend Hannah that he cheated on her, shit hits the fan and it seems to start a chain of events that no one could have foreseen. Mr. Logs, their trusty teacher, tries to hold the glue together, but easier said than done. When Mary goes missing, everyone in Period 8 realize that someone is lying. Can Paulie and Hannah pull through and settle their differences and work together to help find Mary? Why did Mary run away? All these questions and more build up until the fiery conclusion.
Great page turner!
loser127's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 out of 5. I like Chris Crutcher, but this was hard to follow, and was a bit exaggerated. For such a short book, it took me a long time to read it. It wasn't bad though.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
*Chris Crutcher can write. Wow!
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=2620
Now, this is not a "normal" Chris Crutcher book, but like all of his books, it is raw, true, and sports plays a role of some sort. And this one is SO full of suspense for the last 25%. It is a hold your breath, read as quickly as you can kind of book there at the end. (I do wish that this suspense had been spread out to 50% of the book. This would have helped the pacing a bit and I think it would have given Crutcher more time to give information into the crime. Although the quick pacing at the end adds to the suspense, I think spreading it out a bit would have kept the suspense and given more time to delve further into the bad guys and the mystery.)
I, personally, really loved how he chose to tell the story in 3rd person. Although it doesn't give as much insight into one character, it gives you a little bit of insight into each one, and as you are trying to figure out what is going one, it is really fun to hear from all the different characters. (Some readers and reviewers have stated that having the multiple 3rd person point of views made it so the reader didn't really know anyone, but I think it actually helped me get to know everyone a little bit. It also allows for the reader to get snippets of not just the mystery but of the characters allowing you to build the complete character in your head.)
Another brilliant think Crutcher did was include foreshadowing scenes right at the beginning of the novel that did not make sense until the end and then I had to go back and read it. Well done!
Also, if you ever need a mentor text on complex sentence structure or descriptive language--Crutcher is for you!
Mostly, though, this book will find its home in teens' hands. It will be as loved as other Crutcher books.
We flagged: "He hits the water, involuntarily sucking air as the cold leaks in. The colder the better. He deserves this. Even so, he pees in self-defense, his only means to counter the ice-watery fingers creeping around his ribcage and into his crotch. He swims away from shore for about a hundred yards as his body heat warms the water inside the suit. He turns parallel to the shore and strokes, finding a candence he can hold over the next two hours. He knows how to play games to allay the monotony; fifty stroke hard, fifty strokes easy; a hundred strokes hard, fifty easy; a hundred-fifty hard, fifty easy, and on and on. An hour up and an hour back. He has taught himself to breathe on either side in order to keep the shore in sight and swim a relatively straight line. On this morning, working on zero sleep, he holds an even pace; no intervals. Just his sweet Hannah wedged in his frontal lobe. His gone Hannah." (p. 3-4)
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=2620
Now, this is not a "normal" Chris Crutcher book, but like all of his books, it is raw, true, and sports plays a role of some sort. And this one is SO full of suspense for the last 25%. It is a hold your breath, read as quickly as you can kind of book there at the end. (I do wish that this suspense had been spread out to 50% of the book. This would have helped the pacing a bit and I think it would have given Crutcher more time to give information into the crime. Although the quick pacing at the end adds to the suspense, I think spreading it out a bit would have kept the suspense and given more time to delve further into the bad guys and the mystery.)
I, personally, really loved how he chose to tell the story in 3rd person. Although it doesn't give as much insight into one character, it gives you a little bit of insight into each one, and as you are trying to figure out what is going one, it is really fun to hear from all the different characters. (Some readers and reviewers have stated that having the multiple 3rd person point of views made it so the reader didn't really know anyone, but I think it actually helped me get to know everyone a little bit. It also allows for the reader to get snippets of not just the mystery but of the characters allowing you to build the complete character in your head.)
Another brilliant think Crutcher did was include foreshadowing scenes right at the beginning of the novel that did not make sense until the end and then I had to go back and read it. Well done!
Also, if you ever need a mentor text on complex sentence structure or descriptive language--Crutcher is for you!
Mostly, though, this book will find its home in teens' hands. It will be as loved as other Crutcher books.
We flagged: "He hits the water, involuntarily sucking air as the cold leaks in. The colder the better. He deserves this. Even so, he pees in self-defense, his only means to counter the ice-watery fingers creeping around his ribcage and into his crotch. He swims away from shore for about a hundred yards as his body heat warms the water inside the suit. He turns parallel to the shore and strokes, finding a candence he can hold over the next two hours. He knows how to play games to allay the monotony; fifty stroke hard, fifty strokes easy; a hundred strokes hard, fifty easy; a hundred-fifty hard, fifty easy, and on and on. An hour up and an hour back. He has taught himself to breathe on either side in order to keep the shore in sight and swim a relatively straight line. On this morning, working on zero sleep, he holds an even pace; no intervals. Just his sweet Hannah wedged in his frontal lobe. His gone Hannah." (p. 3-4)
ipomoea's review against another edition
3.0
What I liked: the characters, their dialogue, the teenage social situations and reactions.
What I couldn't buy: the deep dark secret. Really? He's not just a garden-variety jerk, he's also a forcible pimp and drug dealer at the behest of his abusive father?
What I couldn't buy: the deep dark secret. Really? He's not just a garden-variety jerk, he's also a forcible pimp and drug dealer at the behest of his abusive father?
emilymorgan02's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. That's almost all I can say. This is a page turner...it's disturbing...it's intense...and it left me guessing...loved the main character and all of his depth. There's a lot of language and the premise is quite mature...
beths0103's review against another edition
3.0
This was one ARC I had to nab at NCTE in November, and while I found the story to be interesting, I thought this most definitely was not classic Chris Crutcher. Yes, there's lots of strong language and controversial, challenge-worthy scenes that we're used to seeing in a Chris Crutcher novel, but behind all the grit, there is usually an equal layer of heart and feeling for the characters. I found myself feeling nothing for any of the characters in this novel, even the bad guys.
What sustained my reading and kept me turning the page was the suspenseful plot (that really didn't start to pick up until page 120) which was carried mostly by dialogue. In that regard, it would be a great selection for reluctant readers, especially guy readers, which has always been Crutcher's target audience.
What sustained my reading and kept me turning the page was the suspenseful plot (that really didn't start to pick up until page 120) which was carried mostly by dialogue. In that regard, it would be a great selection for reluctant readers, especially guy readers, which has always been Crutcher's target audience.
kiwiwonder's review against another edition
5.0
Period 8, in many ways, is not the typical type of book I'd read. For one, it has a sports-type cover - that alone is enough to usually signal that it's not my type of book. For another, it's largely about a male protagonist, and that combined with sports doesn't tend to be what I read.
However, I've read books by Chris Crutcher before, and that makes all the difference. He is one of the best young-adult writers, in my opinion, though over here at least he's largely unknown.
Although most of the books I've read by him do star a male protagonist who's also an athlete, they are by and large not sports books - that's just the details that make up the character. Instead, Crutcher writes about hard-hitting issues relevant to teens, in a realistic manner.
Period 8 is no exception. Period 8 is an informal lunch-hour meeting of friends hosted by a popular teacher at the highschool. As a highschool teacher myself, I found some of the aspects of the book a little hard to believe in terms of professionalism. However, the teacher in the story often points these things out, and is rather cavalier about the whole thing as he's retiring at the end of the school year and undoubtedly is tenured anyway. Despite that, he serves as both a sounding board and a moral compass for the group, and the issues that come up within the group. Saying anything further would be spoiling.
Well written and believable, enough intrigue and drama to keep the book moving, some aspects are predictable but not so much as to be dull - rather the type of predictability that makes you want to keep reading to see if you're right.
The year is young, but so far this is tied for my favourite read this year.
However, I've read books by Chris Crutcher before, and that makes all the difference. He is one of the best young-adult writers, in my opinion, though over here at least he's largely unknown.
Although most of the books I've read by him do star a male protagonist who's also an athlete, they are by and large not sports books - that's just the details that make up the character. Instead, Crutcher writes about hard-hitting issues relevant to teens, in a realistic manner.
Period 8 is no exception. Period 8 is an informal lunch-hour meeting of friends hosted by a popular teacher at the highschool. As a highschool teacher myself, I found some of the aspects of the book a little hard to believe in terms of professionalism. However, the teacher in the story often points these things out, and is rather cavalier about the whole thing as he's retiring at the end of the school year and undoubtedly is tenured anyway. Despite that, he serves as both a sounding board and a moral compass for the group, and the issues that come up within the group. Saying anything further would be spoiling.
Well written and believable, enough intrigue and drama to keep the book moving, some aspects are predictable but not so much as to be dull - rather the type of predictability that makes you want to keep reading to see if you're right.
The year is young, but so far this is tied for my favourite read this year.