Since school started, it's been tough to find time to read and add to this blog. However, I recently finished Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks. I had this book on a future order, but decided I ought to read it first. It is a typically tense and suspenseful Brooks novel, so I have no doubt it would appeal to a lot of guys. However, the story is a little raw for me--I'm choosing not to add it to the high school collection. The story, which centers around the reunion at a carnival of some high school friends who had drifted apart, has too much of too many things. The tone of the novel is very dark and melancholy. When one of their old classmates turns up dead after the carnival, and another one missing, doubt, suspicion, and mistrust consumes Pete, the main character of the book. Since the missing classmate is Pete's best friend, his investigation into the murder parallels the police investigation. Although the murder is solved by the end of the book, Brooks leaves many unanswered questions, which could frustrate some readers. In spite of the negative aspects of this book, Black Rabbit Summer is not without redeeming qualities. Even with his faults, I had to like Pete for his loyalty to his friend Raymond, who was quite a strange character. And I really liked that Pete's parents were good people and that Pete obviously loved and respected them, even if he didn't always obey them. But bottom line, there are plenty of good, suspenseful mystery stories out there without all the language and questionable activities. Black Rabbit Summer is on next year's Tayshas list, so there are lots of librarians out there who like this book. It has received excellent reviews. But I think I'll let any student who wants to read this book find it at the public library.
--Reviewed by D. Sams