Holdup

From the Publisher

“The story is compelling and the characters are well drawn, giving the book wide appeal for a general audience.”—School Library Journal
“Perhaps most successful is the way Fields’ collage of distinct personalities shows how an after-school job, whether or not crisis strikes, creates an unlikely, fleeting community among employees who wouldn’t normally connect.”—Booklist
“The notion of one small decision’s leading to a life-changing experience is an intriguing one, however, and there’s still a pulpy kick in experiencing the immediacy of a crime from one’s safe armchair.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

VOYA - Victoria Vogel

The young adults working the late shift at Burger Heaven are held hostage in a hold up, and it turns out to be a pivotal moment in their lives. Fields begins with the stories of the six people who are taken hostage on that fateful Saturday night. Most of them are the restaurant's teen employees. They attend the same school and work together but know little about each other's very different lives. Each has his or her reason for working there and an individual personal struggle. The book then tells the story of the two hostage takers, Dylan and Joe. They are also very different and know very little of each other. Joe is duped into participating in the holdup. Unfortunately things go awry, and he is the one who gets caught. The novel concludes by telling how each character's life has changed as a result of the holdup. The story is compelling, and the message is clear. Even the smallest of decisions can change lives. Details of the plot, however, might seem a bit contrived and unbelievable. For instance, Joe is gullible enough to believe that the holdup is part of a staged marriage proposal. Dylan, the other hostage taker, is able to escape easily through a hole in the back of the building without arousing any suspicion. It is also a stretch to believe that a fast-food restaurant open late hours would not have a security system. Although the title might attract teens, some of these issues could have readers rolling their eyes.

Faith H. Wallace

Told through alternating perspectives of victims and criminals, the voices of 10 characters tell the tale of a frightful night at Burger Heaven, where a group of teenagers, of various character flaws and conflicts, work. On this particular night, a long-time criminal and his first-time lackey rob Burger Heaven. But, this is the first night when the only adult supervisor is suddenly called away — only the teens are closing the store. The robber is botched. The police arrive. A shot is fired. Do the robbers escape? Does anyone die? While the chapters alter in perspective, the characters are so descriptive, you instantly know who is narrating without having to check the chapter name. Interspersed throughout the narrative are late-breaking news updates. The end of the book finds the victims a year later, and they talk about their experiences and how they have and have not changed. Reviewer: Faith H. Wallace

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

It seemed like just an ordinary Saturday, except Burger Heaven was short-staffed. The manager was partially successful in filling in some holes in the schedule. Called away by a family emergency, the manager puts Jordan, a responsible high school senior, in charge. Close to closing time, a robbery occurs. This life-changing event is told through the eyes of each of the characters: the five fast-food restaurant employees, the robber and his accomplice, and a couple of customers. Each chapter is told from a particular character's viewpoint. While the characters are typecast, the writing style keeps them from being staid. The reader does feel for these people and how their lives are changed by this experience. Particularly touching is the affect on Joe who wanted to prove that he is not a dull and boring person. This quick reading title would make an interesting book discussion for teens. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo

Kirkus Reviews

Using a Lazy-Susan approach of rotating perspectives, Fields manages to paint a broad canvas of life as a contemporary high-school student. Predictable characters have predictable worries. Mid-story, all the characters converge as another high-school student holds up the fast-food restaurant in which they work or eat-all of their lives are changed forever. Sound familiar? While this work is a tour de force of ventriloquism-the author nails every cadence and every syllable of the character she's speaking through-many of the characters are stereotypical and shallow. Sadly, other kinds of stereotype persists here e.g., the character named Manuel is the one who needs the job at the fast-food place most and needs encouragement from an elderly patron (a former teacher) to encourage him to go to college and show him the ins and outs of a financial-aid form. Recommended only to teenagers looking for an easy read, one that doesn't promise much depth or heavy-duty soul-searching. (Fiction. 12-14)