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Synopsis
Everyone is treating Kevin as a hero. He was in the right place and the right time and he saved a girl from being murdered. Only Kevin knows though, why he was able to save her. Things get even more complicated when Kevin is seen removing two patriotic “Support the Troops” ribbons from his car bumper. Now the town that lauded him as a hero turns on him, calling him unpatriotic. Kevin, who hadn't thought much about it up to then, becomes politcially engaged, suddenly questioning what exactly supporting the troops or even saying the pledge of allegiance every day means.
KLIATT
Everyone is lauding Kevin (Kross to his friends) for rescuing his classmate Leah from a notorious serial killer. What great luck that he happened to be in the right place at the right time, they marvel. Only Kross knows the truth: he was there because he was stalking Leah. He's been secretly videotaping her for years because he has a crush on her. But with the media fawning over him and the mayor giving him a car, Kross keeps his guilty secret to himself. It's just a single misstep from hero to pariah, though, when the mayor slaps "Support Our Troops" and "United We Stand" bumper stickers on the car and Kross's eccentric, secretive army vet father demands that he get rid of them, insisting "putting a magnet on your car does nothing for the troops. They're still over there, still dying." A reporter catches Kross tossing the magnets and publicizes it, and soon Kross finds himself publicly defending freedom of speech at school, debating, of all people, Leah's all-too-handsome and articulate boyfriend. This funny-but-serious tale of standing up for basic American liberties and revealing long-held secrets will remind some readers of Avi's Nothing But the Truth. Leavened by much humor, including the pranks played by Kross's good friends, the Council of Fools, this neatly plotted look at what real patriotism and heroism mean will get readers thinking. Another fine offering from the talented author of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl and Boy Toy, who provides a note at the end with some other ideas for supporting the troops. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick