The unnamed narrator of this books describes the night that he and his brother Kyle are out with friends drinking and smoking when they hit a homeless man. Their rich, egotistical friend Duane was driving and insists that they have to leave before anyone sees them. The narrator and Kyle try to help the man but are coerced into running. The story weaves background information in with the present day story that allows the reader to see where the stream of conscience of the narrator is coming from. Their mother has died and their father cannot deal with his grief or his sons so he leaves the boys with their aunt Lucy.

Duane's father summons the boys to his house to tell them how this is going to play out. The boys want to come forward and say it was an accident but Duane's dad knows that this will ruin his son's future and he will not accept that. The situation is complicated by the fact that Kyle is dating Duane's sister Emily. Their father takes an instant dislike to the boys and it is soon revealed that he knew their mother. He tells the boys that he is going to make this all go away and all they have to do is shut their mouths. His animosity towards them lets them know that his dislike of them is deep-rooted in whatever his relationship with their mother was.

Peter Johnson's story shows the class struggle between the narrators family and Duane's family. The father does not believe that Kyle is good enough for his daughter and he also makes references about their father being less than acceptable in his eyes. The story covers a lot of ground over a short period of time. The reader gets to see how the boys' background determines how they handle the situation at hand. Aunt Lucy tries her best but is not the parental figure the boys need right now.

Duane fills the role of spoiled rich kid perfectly and Emily is well written in her brief appearances as the torn girlfriend embarrassed by her family's behavior. Johnson does not give himself much  time to flesh out the characters in this 132 page book but he does create memorable characters. The format is interesting in that it holds the readers attention and there is usually a flashback that answers the question raised by the current situation.

This book is intended for teens and includes drug and alcohol abuse and expletives. 

© 2007 Amy Ridley

Amy Ridley received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Boston University

Categories: Children