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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
A standalone novel of suspense set in the San Francisco Bay area and the hill country of Texas.
My Take
Wow. Just goes to show that money…the having or not having…has nothing to do with happiness. Two marriages falling apart. Ages-old friendships on the line.
It's an inside look at how those in charge of a boot-camp-style school break a child down and build them back up…from the child's perspective. A look at the results of such a place and the issues surrounding them. The hopes and dreams of people who truly want the best for children to those who are caught up in their mind's delusions.
The first half of the story was so sad and hopeless that it was difficult to continue. Three-quarters of the way through, the pace really picked up and I wanted to know how well Mallory would do, if she would go on to the next level. I had to know what the secret was that Race and Mallory were hiding. If Ann were exonerated. What would happen between Norah and Chadwick. What was David Kraft's role in all this? Riordan also wrote interesting personalities for the four different law enforcement entities involved — I loved Sergeant Damarodas! He could be an interesting character for a series of his own!
The Story
A former schoolteacher-turned-delinquent-escort is attempting to purge his guilt — and the ghost of his teen-aged daughter who died of a heroin overdose — by helping young people in trouble.
An old army buddy runs a boot camp in the Texas hills where parents send their troubled kids and Ann, a friend from his former life, calls and asks him to pick up her daughter, Mallory.
Race's mother has just been found murdered, and the only suspects the police have are Mallory and Race.
Mallory is doing heroin just like her babysitter, Katherine, had done before she overdosed. Now Mallory is running with the younger brother, Race, of the dealer who had hooked Katherine.
To complicate matters, John, Ann's ex- and Mallory's father, has been blackmailed continuously since Katherine's overdose, and the blackmailer has stepped up the pace. The plan is to take down everyone involved in Katherine's life and death.
My Take
Wow. Just goes to show that money…the having or not having…has nothing to do with happiness. Two marriages falling apart. Ages-old friendships on the line.
It's an inside look at how those in charge of a boot-camp-style school break a child down and build them back up…from the child's perspective. A look at the results of such a place and the issues surrounding them. The hopes and dreams of people who truly want the best for children to those who are caught up in their mind's delusions.
The first half of the story was so sad and hopeless that it was difficult to continue. Three-quarters of the way through, the pace really picked up and I wanted to know how well Mallory would do, if she would go on to the next level. I had to know what the secret was that Race and Mallory were hiding. If Ann were exonerated. What would happen between Norah and Chadwick. What was David Kraft's role in all this? Riordan also wrote interesting personalities for the four different law enforcement entities involved — I loved Sergeant Damarodas! He could be an interesting character for a series of his own!
The Story
A former schoolteacher-turned-delinquent-escort is attempting to purge his guilt — and the ghost of his teen-aged daughter who died of a heroin overdose — by helping young people in trouble.
An old army buddy runs a boot camp in the Texas hills where parents send their troubled kids and Ann, a friend from his former life, calls and asks him to pick up her daughter, Mallory.
Race's mother has just been found murdered, and the only suspects the police have are Mallory and Race.
Mallory is doing heroin just like her babysitter, Katherine, had done before she overdosed. Now Mallory is running with the younger brother, Race, of the dealer who had hooked Katherine.
To complicate matters, John, Ann's ex- and Mallory's father, has been blackmailed continuously since Katherine's overdose, and the blackmailer has stepped up the pace. The plan is to take down everyone involved in Katherine's life and death.
missyjohnson's review against another edition
3.0
I wish that Rick Riordan were still writing adult fiction. this was not a Tres Navarre book. This story starts out in Oakland CA but also takes place in the Texas Hill Country near Fredricksburg. I liked Chadwick. Chadwick and Norma are friends with Ann and John Zedman. Both have daughters. Katherine, age 16, for C & N and Mallory, 6, for A & J. Mallory is with Katherine when she overdoses on heroin. Chadwick quits his job as a history teacher at the private school where Ann is headmaster to work with his army buddy who has a wilderness experience for troubled teens. the twists in this story were many and often confusing but still a good story. heroin, guns, mexican body guards, embezzlement, snow in Texas, dead armadillos, etc, etc, etc.
carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting read from one of my favorite young adult novelists. This book is not for young readers, however. This is a complicated story of two couples, each raising a daughter when things go terribly wrong...
A fun read.
A fun read.
arubadawn's review against another edition
4.0
I like Rick Riordan's youth books better but this was still good
ppotochevska's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
readingwithdaniella's review against another edition
What, how did I never know that Rick Riordan wrote adult thrillers?
nkmeyers's review against another edition
2.0
This was really like a 2.5 star read, good but . . . SF private school for kids intersecting with families in oakland with a tough love school in texas. Moral gray areas may keep readers from sympathizing too deeply with any of the characters, but the plot moves quickly and is complicated enough to keep a reader turning the pages.
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