Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Three perspectives — one truth
The victim: After his windshield was shattered with a baseball bat, HIV-positive Alex Crusan ducked under the steering wheel. But he knows what he saw. Now he must decide what he wants to tell.
The witness: Daria Bickell never lies. So if she told the police she saw Clinton Cole do it, she must have. But did she really?
The suspect: Clinton was seen in the vicinity of the crime that morning. And sure, he has problems with Alex. But he'd never do something like this. Would he?
An HIV-positive high school student hospitalized after being attacked, the bigot accused of the crime, and the only witness, a classmate with Down Syndrome, reveal how the assult has changed their lives as they tell of its aftermath.
Synopsis
Three perspectives — one truth
The victim: After his windshield was shattered with a baseball bat, HIV-positive Alex Crusan ducked under the steering wheel. But he knows what he saw. Now he must decide what he wants to tell.
The witness: Daria Bickell never lies. So if she told the police she saw Clinton Cole do it, she must have. But did she really?
The suspect: Clinton was seen in the vicinity of the crime that morning. And sure, he has problems with Alex. But he'd never do something like this. Would he?
Washington Post - Elizabeth Ward
"Fans of legal dramas might check out Alex Flinn's intriguing Fade To Black (HarperTempest, $16.99; ages 12-up). Flinn, a former attorney, is also interested in point of view -- or rather the challenges presented when multiple points of view collide. In this tautly constructed novel, an HIV-positive high school student sees his life 'fading to black.' Then an unknown assailant attacks him in his car, and he suddenly finds himself sifting shades of gray. As the victim, the suspect and the lone witness take turns with the narrative, 'truth' and 'guilt' grow increasingly elusive."
Editorials
Booklist
Flinn, author of Breathing Underwater (2001) and Nothing to Lose (2004), takes aim at bullying once again. This time HIV-positive Alejandro Crusan, a Florida high-school junior, is the target. After being attacked in his car by a baseball bat-wielding teenager, Alex is hospitalized while recovering from his injuries. Clinton Cole, prejudiced and afraid of catching AIDS, hates Alex and is responsible for tormenting him on several previous occasions. This time he claims he’s innocent. However, Daria, a teen with Down syndrome, saw Clinton at the scene of the attack; she also witnessed one of the earlier assaults. The teens alternate telling their stories and sharing their secrets, as Alex struggles with the truth about the attack and about the origin of his HIV-positive status. Daria’s narration unfolds in free verse, a form that effectively shows both her halting, repetitive speech and the disparity between her inner thoughts and her ability to communicate them. Teens will enjoy ferreting out the reality from the conflicting narratives and arguing about the sensitive issues raised along the way.Elizabeth Ward
"Fans of legal dramas might check out Alex Flinn's intriguing Fade To Black (HarperTempest, $16.99; ages 12-up). Flinn, a former attorney, is also interested in point of view -- or rather the challenges presented when multiple points of view collide. In this tautly constructed novel, an HIV-positive high school student sees his life 'fading to black.' Then an unknown assailant attacks him in his car, and he suddenly finds himself sifting shades of gray. As the victim, the suspect and the lone witness take turns with the narrative, 'truth' and 'guilt' grow increasingly elusive."—Washington Post
KLIATT
To quote from the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2005: The facts are clear: Alex Crusan, an HIV-positive Cuban-American high school student who recently moved to small-town Pinedale, FL, was attacked in his car by someone with a baseball bat. He is now in the hospital with multiple injuries. Daria Bicknell, a special education (Down syndrome) student, was a witness to the attack. But who was the assailant? Daria thinks it was fellow student Clinton Cole. Clinton was seen in the area that morning, and he's been vocal about his feelings about someone who might spread "the black plague": his little sister and Alex's are best friends, and Clinton wants Alex out of their lives. We get the story in alternating chapters from the three teenagers' points of view. Alex tells of his struggle to deal with his HIV-positive status and to cope with his overprotective mother, and his fear of having no future. He forms a friendship with a candy striper at the hospital, and gradually decides to come clean about how he contracted HIV?—?it was from a brief relationship with a college girl, and not from a transfusion, as his family had told everyone. In blank verse, Daria tells about what she saw, and how it gets her much-desired attention from the other girls. And Clinton tells about his anger and what he really did: he is guilty, but not of this crime. In the end, telling the truth is difficult but liberating for all three young people. Flinn, a former attorney and author of the notable YA novels Breathing Underwater, Nothing to Lose, and Breaking Point, tells a convincing and wrenching tale of teens dealing with thorny issues. The three viewpoints effectively help the readerconsider the plights and concerns of each character. A worthy and thought-provoking novel, with an eye-catching cover. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, HarperTempest, 184p., Ages 12 to 18.—Paula Rohrlick