At first I found Trina and her friends annoying but as their plan to "get Carlos" grows, the story becomes more substantial. The climax of the story is the plan's aftermath but more powerful is the depiction of Trina's palpable guilt and her constant battle with her conscience as the plan proceeds. An excellent read that vividly points out the consequences of one's actions. ( )

I was hooked for a few chapters by the realistic teenage voice of the narrator. The hook then became a cattle prod because the narrator, like, keeps writing like that and I was just so, like, sick of both the plot and the narrator; I almost relinquished the book to my own discard pile several times. Instead of an actual interest in how the conflict would be resolved, I was propelled through this boring book by a desire to find out if Carlos's "aliens" were actually scabies or lice. I would have given this one star, but the ending was decent and portrayed 7th-grade interpersonal relationships & social issues pretty realistically.

If I could advise the author, I'd tell him that this would have made an amazing short personal narrative rather than a long, drawn-out novel.



( )

Great story for 6th and 7th grades -- a story of bullying, differences, and paying attention to your gut instincts. Trina goes to an inner city middle school, where the 7th grade gets to go on an overnight trip to the mountains of New Hampshire at the end of the year. Students who misbehave in school can't go -- so there's a lot of pressure to make things in class go right, or as "right" as they can. When she is paired up with Carlos for the big science project, Trina is terrified that Carlos will wreck their presentation, because he's different. Carlos has several disabilities which cause him to say bizarre things and act strangely, including pulling his shirt up and scratching himself, and howling about aliens. Trina's friend Thea is the one who always plans the pranks and stunts, and she has a doozy planned for the trip -- and Carlos is the target. Trina has a gut feeling that they shouldn't do it, but she can't really find the right words to explain it. This is not your usual "stand up to the bully" feel-good ending -- it's well-written and very realistic, and will make you think. 6th grade and up. ( )

Personal Response:
This book is written for middle school students and leads the reader to think about the choices they make concerning peer pressure, opportunities and the value of listening to their inner voice. What is the best choice to make? This author captures the voice, fears and challenges of seventh graders.

Curricular or Programming Connections:
Excellent for Peer Pressure, Listening to your inner voice, Opportunities ( )

Reviewed by Steph for TeensReadToo.com

Have you ever had that voice in the back of your head telling you not to do something...that it wasn't a good idea and only trouble could come of following through with the act?

Well, Trina has that voice -- or guilt demon.

Carlos is a small and annoying boy in class who always acts out to get attention but never gets in trouble. One day, Trina's friends decide that they're going to pull the ultimate prank on Carlos on an upcoming overnight trip. Trina goes along for the ride, but she quickly discovers that the guilt demon and her budding friendship with Carlos could get in the way of the prank.

This entertaining yet serious book follows a young girl as she battles internally between right and wrong. Trina must decide whether to go through with the prank -- to succumb to her friends and peer pressure -- or to back down and help Carlos, a boy who is desperately in need of a friend.

Emerson writes an interesting story that gets readers to feel for this alienated boy (Carlos) and the troubled protagonist and narrator (Trina). He shows the reality of cause and effect -- of the consequences of one's actions. He also shows through this moving story that missed chances are a person's greatest regret. ( )