Synopsis
Mick Salisbury wonders how he got where he is. For as long as he can remember, people have been saying the same thing about life being a series of choices. The problem is, he’s never been particularly good at making the right ones—especially since he was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, where most people are cheated out of all the better options in life.
So when a normal night spent hanging out, drinking with his two best friends, ends in a deadly mistake, individual decisions suddenly seem more important than Mick ever realized. And when he’s sitting in the police interrogation room, it will all come down to one choice. But once he heads down one road, will it ever be possible to turn back?
School Library Journal
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