It continues to amaze me that books by these incredibly talented authors are so hard to find in bookstores and libraries. Crooked, an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults, captures with startling verisimilitude the voices of the young people who populate this story set in a small town in upstate New York. Clara and Amos, the fourteen-year-old protagonists, are sweet and shy, full of hormones and angst, and achingly believable. Similarly, the cruel girls in their class are as convincingly frightening and dangerous with their verbal and psychological abuse as are the malicious town misfits, Charles and Eddie Tripp, with their physical abuse. This story of two nice kids who are targeted basically for being two nice kids is told so well you can actually feel the fear and bewilderment of Clara and Amos, and you can’t help but hurt for them as school becomes a place to dread, rather than a place to learn. And as if this weren’t enough, both Clara and Amos suffer significant upheavals in their family lives. Apprehension over what will happen to them and how they will cope with it increases as the story progresses.Discussion: Clara and Amos are confused; they’re not always “cool”; and they don’t always do the right thing. But they are both decent and good-hearted kids, and manage to make the best out of some pretty badly drawn cards. In different ways, they slowly transcend the hurts, and ascend the awkward coming-of-age ladder. By virtue of their grace and goodness, they discover inner strength, courage, the ability to forgive others and themselves, and a recognition that value is sometimes lying just beneath the surface. Evaluation: Crooked brought me back to the awful cruelty of junior high with flashback-like realism. There are some very tense moments in the book, but there is also a pervasive sweetness, which thankfully remains the dominant emotional strain of this close-up look at life in a small-town junior high. Parents will find this book provides an excellent opportunity to discuss a variety of issues that unfortunately come into play at the junior high stage.Rating: 3.5/5Spoilery Note (for Parents): There is a scene of almost-sexual-abuse, and while the fact that it didn’t get carried out was probably the least realistic part of the story, I was very happy and relieved nevertheless!
I enjoyed this young adult book quite a bit. An interesting cast of teen-age characters, sympathetic and otherwise, populates the small-town setting. There's the outcast Clara Wilson, she of the crooked nose and a damaged home life; Amos MacKenzie the milkman's son, whose life takes a sorrowful twist; and the Tripp brothers, as crooked and slimy as they come. They are all bright people, even the worst of them, and their interactions keep the plot lively and hopping. I liked the way the 3rd person narration shifted back and forth from Clara to Amos and back, giving the reader insights into each point of view at different times. The telling is full of carefully chosen detail and realistic-sounding dialogue. If the story broke out a little predictable at times, maybe it was just because the authors wrote it just the way I might have myself. I was reading this as a writer, to evaluate it and get a sense of what teen-agers are reading these days. I have to say I wasn't disappointed with Crooked.
What do You think about Crooked (2007)?
I have not read many, what I call, "Teen" novels. By "Teen" I mean fiction books about life as an average teenager when something out of the norm happens, and I am not talking about meeting vampires and falling in love with the supernatural world. Just regular people that competely possible, although sometimes bad, things happen to them. This is one of those books, and I was impressed by it. I really could not put the book down. I mean I was reading it while waiting for the Super Bowl Commercials to come on. (Yes, that means I was reading it while the game was in play.) I connected with the caracters, and wanted the best out come for them. Even though at some points I did not know what the outcome would be. Because in all honesty I cannot remember the last book that I read that the ending was not what I wanted it to be. I will always appaude authors who collaborate to write a novel. Expecially husband and wife (ditto to him for letting his wifes name be first!! :} ) I have tried writing with others and it is not the easiest thing in the world, or the next easiest, or the next easiest after that! So after all of that I am giving this book a 4 out of five stars. I would probably read this book again, but maybe in a few years or so.
—Rebecca Dumont
This was a really good book because it had a surprising outcome. The book is written in two different perspectives, a girl named clara and a boy named amos. It switches back and forth about every other chapter, and really helps you understand the book more by doing this. Amos's dad dies in the middle of the book, which makes the book a bit sadder and creepier. Generally the idea is that you shouldn't worry about someone's appearance or judge then unfairly because they might turn out to be really
—Sarah Walker
I picked this book off of Ms. Falkner's shelf one day because I forgot my free reading book and it turned out to be very good. The story follows two characters named Clary and Amos who share very similar problems. 1) Both of their parents are hiding something and 2) they have become targets of the two meanest kids in town- the Tripp brothers. This story follows Amos and Clary as they work together to evade the Tripps and support each other as their parents' secrets are revealed. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and easy read.
—Hallie Pellegrin
