Black Rabbit summer

Publishers Weekly

Sinister yet seductive, this brooding thriller bears all the Brooks (Lucas) hallmarks, chiefly the British author's painful awareness of teenage alienation, made urgent by violent events; and a marked taste for ambiguity. Five teens precede a trip to a carnival with a visit to their long-abandoned hideout; as the narrator, Pete, explains, all five used to be friends, now they see one another as "people you used to know." The next morning, one of them is missing-Raymond, a borderline type who believes his black rabbit can talk to him-as is a local girl turned wild-child celebrity, seen taunting Raymond the previous evening. As the police hunt for the starlet, Pete alone worries about Raymond and begins trying to track him. Brooks calibrates the relationships among these characters with such subtlety that readers get swept up even by the MacGuffins, and it's in the characters' hidden histories that Pete finds his clues. A running motif about the relationship between close observation and intuition might encourage readers to pay unusually strict attention; it will equip them for the semi-open ending. Ages 12-up. (July)

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KLIATT - Paula Rohrlick

Five old friends about to head off for colleges and jobs decide to get together one last time at the local carnival. Pete, age 16, tells the story of how he meets up with Raymond, Pauly, Nicole, and Eric—and how oddball Raymond and their old classmate Stella, now a celebrity, both abruptly vanish. Pete sets out to find Raymond, and along the way discovers surprising secrets about the people he thought he knew, as well as an enemy who will do anything to keep him quiet. Drugs and sex play a role in the plot, and the language is adult. This dark and complicated mystery tackles the nature of friendships, loyalty and betrayal. Long but suspenseful, this will appeal to fans of British author Brooks's other fine work, like Lucas, Martyn Pig and The Road of the Dead. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick

VOYA - Joyce Doyle

It all starts with a phone call. Pete is having a lazy summer between high school and college when his old friends decide to get together one last time before they go their separate ways. The group meets at their childhood "hideout," where they drink and smoke pot before separating and heading out to the traveling fair nearby. But the evening goes terribly wrong, and by morning, Pete's best friend, Raymond, is missing along with a local starlet the four friends once knew. Are the disappearances connected? What do Pete's friends know about it? Feeling as though the police do not care about Raymond as much as the media frenzy around the starlet, Pete is compelled to find out what happened and tries to piece together details in his alcohol- and drug-blurred memory, uncovering dangerous secrets on the way. Brooks is well known for his edgy fiction, and this novel is no different. The reader puts together clues right along with Pete as he slowly clears his fuzzy memory. Each detail reveals more questions, and clues are linked without any sense of being contrived or forced. Add Pete's attempts to figure out who is really a friend-or if anyone was ever a real friend-and even a non-mystery reader will want to find the answers in this story. Reviewer: Joyce Doyle

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up

For Pete, the summer after high school graduation is quiet and a bit lonely since his friends have drifted apart. When "the old gang" decides to meet one last time, Pete, Raymond, Nicole, Eric, and Pauly get together for a night of reminiscing and hanging out at a carnival. But their differences are now too big to overcome and the friendly gathering falls apart after too much drinking, drugs, and sexual tension. They make their way individually to the carnival, where the night ends badly. A former school friend, now a famous celebrity, goes missing, as does Raymond. Could these incidents be related? Could someone Pete thought of as a friend be a criminal? Pete gets drawn into the investigation, which puts his policeman father in a difficult position, and tries to do right by both the authorities and his friends-which are at odds with one another. All of the action happens in less than a week, yet the pace seems slow at times. This may be because of the ultrarealistic dialogue: "What?" "Are you sure?" "Yeah...I guess...." Still, the descriptions of places and events are evocative, the characters realistic, and the suspense gripping. Brooks has created a police procedural as well as a coming-of-age story. The ending leaves a big piece missing from the puzzle and may frustrate some readers.-Geri Diorio, The Ridgefield Library, CT

Kirkus Reviews

Childhood relationships twist after gruesome events. While rediscovering formerly close friendships, 17-year-old Pete and his motley crew find themselves targeted for investigation after a teen starlet disappears from the local carnival. Pete begins his own inquiry after learning that Raymond, the group's outcast, is the prime suspect, and soon learns the bonds of friendship have shifted into something darker. Entangled in a web of betrayal and blackmail, Pete must discover who he is and who his friends have become. Brooks's skill at depicting cooled friendships excels, though readers may wonder why the group was so close initially. Raymond's distant character becomes too insubstantial at times, nearly drifting from the page; however, readers who know what it's like to be bullied will feel a strong emotional connection with him. False trails and near misses weigh down the interpersonal mystery, diluting an otherwise fast-paced narrative. Exploring control, power and secrecy, with a hint of Lord of the Flies, Brooks crafts a morbid beach read. (Mystery. YA)