Derailed

VOYA

Stony, high school senior and small town football star, might be ineligible to play because of a failing grade. Enter Robyn, his student tutor and an unwed mother, for whom Stony develops a crush. His marriage-minded girlfriend is obviously not happy. Add his guidance counselor, who tells Stony that he is smart enough to escape his small town and the quarry job that awaits him, like it did his father and grandfather before him. He merely needs to apply himself. Thus, three weeks into his senior year, Stony has an epiphany and decides to go to college. When Robyn's psychotic ex-boyfriend and father of her child is released from prison for raping her, he tracks her down and kidnaps their child as revenge. This book derailed from page one. It is difficult to care about the three or four weeks of Stony's trite life chronicled here. The story has everything: sex, drugs, vandalism, psychotic boyfriends, death of a younger sibling, alcoholic parents, unwed mothers. The author crams every issue into one book. Poorly written, his narrative contains phrases such as "ass-kicking convincingly" to describe a football game win. The dialogue is unnatural, characters are uninteresting, and the plot is predictable and unrealistic. Situations do not make sense, like Stony's brainy teammate Brian, who takes accelerated classes, being excited about enrolling in community college to play football. The only positive is that the book is an easy read. The positive does not outweigh the negatives, however. VOYA CODES: 2Q 3P S (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; Will appeal with pushing; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, Flux/Llewellyn, 258p., Trade pb. Ages 15 to 18.
—Ed Goldberg

KLIATT - Amanda MacGregor

Wendell Stoneking, or "Stony," knows what his future will be in his small Iowa town. After he graduates from high school in the spring he will get a job at the quarry, just like his father and his grandfather did. He'll probably marry young, have some kids, and hang out with the other quarry workers at the local bar. He is a major force on the football team, but his spot is in jeopardy when he finds out he may lose eligibility. Stony's trademark smile isn't enough to help him save his failing English literature grade. When he visits the guidance counselor, a potential new path is illuminated for him. What if there were more to life than just working at the quarry? What if Stony could pull his grades up not just to keep his spot on the team, but because he's a smart kid with a lot of potential? His new tutor, Robyn, also helps reinforce these ideas. Stony is immediately intrigued by her, especially when he finds out that she has a child. As he works to uncover pieces of her mysterious past, he makes significant discoveries about himself. The story takes a dramatic twist when Robyn's abusive and mentally unhinged ex-boyfriend shows up and kidnaps their son. Though the story often feels rushed, Rip-slinger's characters make this a page-turner. Stony, who initially comes off as a one-dimensional stereotype, is a surprisingly complex young man, a fact that reveals itself at just the right pace. The monotony of Stony's small town is conveyed well; the stifling feeling envelops every moment of action. With strong male and female main characters, Derailed will appeal to both sexes.