Tightrope

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Impeccable plotting, a brisk narrative and complex characterizations make this latest from Cross (Wolf; Pictures in the Dark) a novel to read in a single sitting. Fiercely self-reliant Ashley is kept far too busy caring for her sick mother to bother with the more ordinary forms of teenage rebellion that abound in her seedy neighborhood. Her sole indulgence is graffiti--preferably in the most daring and difficult-to-reach locations possible. When she "tags" a store owned by an unpopular merchant and her browbeaten son, Ashley gains the notice of Eddie Beale, the charismatic gangster who--with the help of his fire-eating girlfriend and a crew of sidekicks--runs the area as if it were his private three-ring circus. Befriended, or so it seems, by this group of urban saltimbanques, Ashley's tightly wound existence begins to expand in new and unexpected ways. But Eddie is no Robin Hood, and beneath his ringmaster's dazzle lies a ruthless agenda. As Eddie's schemes fall into place, loner Ashley is forced to reach beyond her brittle independence and seek help from unexpected sources. The circus motif that runs throughout lends a shimmering touch of magical realism to this gritty urban tale. In the end, it is as much Ashley's emotional evolution as the more conventional elements of suspense that makes this story so engrossing. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Children's Literature

Gillian Cross' Tightrope is filled with symbols that relate to the title. The main character is Ashley, a fourteen-year-old who walks a tightrope between caring for her disabled mother and juggling the rest of her life. Once a gymnast, Ashley finds release by inventing an alter ego named Cindy. Cindy sneaks out at night and balances on a tightrope while she indulges in her hidden passion of tagging, or filling high blank walls with graffiti bearing the name of her alter ego. At first, Ashley delights in the drama and the risk of being found out. But the mental tightrope Ashley enjoys stretches to the breaking point when she begins to receive anonymous, threatening letters written by someone who knows her true identity. Each chapter of this book ends with a short segment written by a resident of Ashley's neighborhood. These vignettes give clues about Ashley's stalker and a sense that much of the community lives in fear of the same person. Double meanings, suspense, and multiple perspectives lift this story beyond most. What distinguishes this book? The characters, they aren't merely embodiments of an issue and the plot isn't a one-liner. It is a complicated, character-driven, credible novel which offer a compelling read for anyone who has struggled with hiding fear or tried to understanding the conflicts and truths around them. It will appeal to all who long to find heroes, love, and hope. 1999, Holiday House, Ages 11 up, $16.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde

Children's Literature - Betty Hicks

Some people think Ashley is much too responsible for a fourteen-year-old, but they don't know her secret. When she's not in school or caring for her disabled mother, Ashley paints the name Cindy on the walls of buildings--in the middle of the night--the higher up the better. When a chilling stalker threatens her secret and her security, she reluctantly appeals to Eddie, a ruthless egomaniac who helps anyone whose talents meet his bizarre expectations. The result is a thriller with so much tension; it's as taut as the high wire in the title. In fact, the entire story is filled with a number of resourceful parallels to high wire walking, circus acts, falling, and even to Cinderella. Ashley is perilously "balancing on a rope of twisted lies." Unless she adds more strands, she'll plummet. Part mystery, the novel's clues and events are unveiled creatively through multiple perspectives. The strong cast of major and minor characters who tell the tale will engage the reader's curiosity from beginning to end.

Kirkus Reviews

A twisty, eccentric novel of Machiavellian intrigue unravels slightly in the resolution, but fans of the author's previous works (Pictures in the Dark, 1996, etc.) are unlikely to mind. When Ashley begins to get threatening letters and phone calls from a mysterious stalker, she goes to a local fixer for help, only to find that she's only a pawn in his own machinations. She has always lived a duel life: by day, she's "every mother's dream daughter," faithfully attending school, then rushing home to do a myriad of household chores and care for her ailing mother; by night, she's a secret graffiti artist, scaling walls and roofs to "tag" surfaces with her spray-painted nom de plume. Her daring midnight adventures eventually catch the attention of Eddie Beale, a legendary tough with a zero tolerance for boredom and a coterie of colorful followers. Eddie "looks after" his friends, but demands slavish obedience in return. Ashley is flattered until she discovers that Eddie is using her in an elaborate scheme to get back at an innocent but uncooperative merchant. The premise is intriguing; Cross, using a variety of narrative voices and circus metaphors, spins the web so tautly that it's a bit disconcerting when Ashley destroys Eddie's universe so decisively. The page-turning plot will keep readers involved, though, despite a few undeveloped characters and the weak finish. (Fiction. 12-14)