Cheated

by Patrick Jones

Overview

Mick, Brody and Aaron spend most of their free time drinking and commiserating about the raw deal they have in life. One night, instead of going to the high school football game, they start on a drinking binge that spirals down farther and farther until it ends with a deadly mistake. Although he's not part of the violence, Mick helps his friends cover up their terrible actions. When they get caught, Mick must decide whether to trust his friends not to talk to the police or to choose to be the one tha t makes a deal to get himself off the hook. An exploration of class, opportunity-or the lack thereof-and the consequences of taking the wrong path.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802723857
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	04/10/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

PATRICK JONES received lifetime achievement awards from both the American Library Association and the Catholic Library Association for his work motivating young people to read. He is also the author of many teen novels, including The Tear Collector, Stolen Car, and Things Change. Patrick was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
www.connectingya.com
PATRICK JONES received lifetime achievement awards from both the American Library Association and the Catholic Library Association for his work motivating young people to read. He is also the author of many teen novels, including The Tear Collector, Stolen Car, and Things Change. Patrick was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, and currently lives in Minnesota. www.connectingya.com

Editorial Reviews

Gr 9 Up- Mick Salisbury, 15, knows plenty about cheating; his father cheated on his mother, he told his mother about his father's affair (after he was asked not to), he was unfaithful to his girlfriend, and he helped a friend cheat on a homework assignment. His friends are troubled and have serious personal issues, his relationship with his father is difficult, and his decided lack of luck with the opposite sex does little to boost his confidence. Mick feels adrift in a sea of preppy classmates and high school football players; his lack of eye-hand coordination frustrates him to no end. He escapes through music on his iPod knockoff and hanging out with his troublemaking friends. The mundaneness of Mick's life evaporates when a Friday night of illicit drinking and poker turns into a shocking and devastating encounter with a local homeless man. This book could be a good way to spark conversation about the consequences of one's choice of friends, drinking, society's treatment of the homeless, and the extent of loyalty. The inclusion of profanity, violence, and brief sexual situations makes it a gritty novel. The realistic portrayal of high school life, the fast pace of the second half of the book, and the keen insight into interrogation and investigation tactics will keep reluctant readers turning the pages, but teens wanting a conclusive resolution might be disappointed by the ambiguous ending.-Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA

School Library Journal

Mick Salisbury just can't win: He caught his dad cheating on his mom and he got caught cheating on his girlfriend Nicole. His only solace is the company of his two best friends, Brody, an ex-jock with serious drinking and anger-management issues, and Aaron, a quiet boy who harbors a terrible secret. The trio engages in all the usual teen delinquent activities-drinking, stealing, chasing girls-and subsequently never take any responsibility for their actions. When their binge drinking and inner rage combine one fateful night, Mick finds himself part of a horrible crime. Mick, who narrates his sad tale, is an entirely unlikable character, and while it seems that the author intended it that way, anomalous passages make him sound more like a moralistic adult than a confused and impulsive teenage boy. With a predictable plot and flat characters, this problem novel striving for intensity loses its fire by coming across as overly didactic. For a similar concept with a better execution, see Chris Lynch's Inexcusable (2005). (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews