hilariously terrible ( )

Grades: 9-12
Characterization: Good
Literary Value: Good
Recommendation: Recommended

Summary:
Emily was devastated when her best friend Lizzie Porter died. Emily’s large Irish Catholic family has rallied around her and tried to help with her grief, but Emily is still having imagined conversations with Lizzie, unable to let go. One day on her way home from school, Emily is surprised to see Lizzie’s younger sister Chloe. The Porters had moved away after Lizzie’s death, but Chloe explains that they have come back to visit her grave and asks if Emily wants to join them. After a moment’s hesitation, Emily says yes and gets in the van where Mr. and Mrs. Porter are waiting. Emily senses something is wrong almost immediately, and her fears increase when Mrs. Porter begins calling her Lizzie. It quickly becomes clear that the Porters have not come to visit Lizzie’s grave, they have come to replace her with Emily.

Review:
Kidnapping stories are usually not my cup of tea, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself zipping through this book. Rice creates a well-developed main character in Emily through flashbacks to her friendship with Lizzie as well as her family’s struggles in dealing with her mother’s alcoholism. The Porters eventually allow Emily to go to school, using threats against her family to keep her quiet. The tension builds as Emily grows close to Casey, who lives next door, and Carole a friend from school, and she is tempted to tell them the truth about who she is. The book’s conclusion was unexpected and not entirely realistic, but it will please readers looking for a happy ending. Some of the characters are two dimensional and unrealistic. Mrs. Porter is a cartoonish villain, and Mr. Porter is almost more monstrous because he can see that what they are doing is wrong but goes along with it anyway to appease his wife. This is perhaps not entirely unrealistic, but the characters and their family dynamic would have benefitted from more development and nuance. While a little uneven at times, this is a solid selection for teens who enjoy abduction stories. ( )

Excellent! Anyone who is looking for a suspenseful thrilling book to read should read this book. It talks about the story of a young girl trying to get through the death of her best friend and the dangers of her family. ( )

00016171