Numbers

by David A. Poulsen

Outsider Andy becomes intrigued by the things being taught in social studies class this year, but when he realizes that Mr. R.'s version of World War II and Hitler is different from everyone else's understanding of events, Andy risks his good grade in order to remain true to what he knows is right.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Holocaust

230 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

David A. Poulsen has been a rodeo competitor and rodeo clown, rock singer, high school football coach, stage and film actor, documentary television writer and host, and college English instructor. Since retiring from rodeo competition - he admits to being a not-very-good bareback rider and later an accident-prone rodeo clown, David Poulsen has taken up residence in announcer's stands across North America. The results have been tremendously positive both for David and audiences who have listened to his knowledgeable and enthusiastic commentary for the last twenty-six years.

With 1500 performances to his credit, the likable Alberta native has appeared at many of the major rodeos and bull riding events in Canada, among them the Canadian Finals Rodeo (three times), the Calgary Stampede for the last sixteen years in a row and, the PCB Bull Riding Finals. He has been at the microphone for twenty-eight Finals events in seven different associations. Equally at home in front of a TV camera, he has been seen on CTV Wide World of Sports, TSN Television Sports and each year co-hosts the popular Stampede Roundup program on Calgary's CFCN-TV with Glen Campbell. He also acted as co-host of the documentary series The Complete Rider for The Outdoor Life Network. David's announcing talents have also taken him to the big screen. He twice played the role of a rodeo announcer in the successful family series The Black Stallion and was behind the microphone for the rodeo scenes in the movie Convict Cowboy that starred Jon Voigt

David is also a successful writer with some 17 published books to his credit. His writing career began in earnest in 1984 when his short story The Welcomin’ won the Alberta Culture Short Story Writing Competition. His newest book Last Sam's Cage (published by Key Porter Books, Toronto, ON) arrived in bookstores in October, 2005 and has been enjoying a tremendous reception with readers across Canada and beyond. Because a number of his books target young readers, David spends between 60 and 80 days a year in classrooms across Canada, talking to kids about his books and his life as a writer and sharing his stories with students.

David and his wife Barb raise running quarter horses on a small but picturesque ranch (El Rancho Pequino) in the Alberta foothills west of Claresholm.

Reviews

[Lyn *GLITTER VIKING* · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand writing a flawed teenage character. If I had been the protagonist in a book when i was in high school, I am pretty positive that my book would bomb. I was horrible, wimpy and a dorky lost kid. I was so stupid.

So I'm not passing on this one because the kid in the book is shaming a girl for not smiling (she would be SO MUCH PRETTIER) or because he said that same girl would be more attractive if she "tried harder", or that the male character complains that all of the girls in his school are "average looking". I can even take a breath and understand that slut shaming at that age is quite common. It isn't RIGHT, but it is realistic.

It makes me not care for the book, or the character, but not every novel is going to be spun-sugar nice.

What made me stop this book at 13%, and then give it a LOW RATING was that the main character is an attempt rapist. Here is what he has to say about what happened to the relationship with his ex:
"It was stupid, I know that. I was stupid. I know that too. I think Diana liked me quite a bit and the thing is I liked her too - a lot. But it was the whole sex thing. I wanted it - she didn't. At least not as fast as I did. Which would have been okay if she hadn't already had sex with two other guys."

What the FUCK. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. A girl can't wait to have sex if she already had previous partners. Look at that line: "Which would have been okay if..." Mt stomach is so upset right now. How DARE you deem it okay when a girl can and can't wait to have sex. HOW DARE YOU.

Let's continue:

Diana tells him that she has had sex before. His monologue:

"I was all like cool, I'm fine with being number three as long as it's real freaking soon. And that was the problem. Diana, the two-times non-virgin, wasn't on the same page when it came to just how far we would go."

Let me just step back before I break something. So now this girl is more of an identity that a living, breathing person.

When he tries something with her, she removes his hand and flat out tells him "I'm just not ready."

So why doesn't she want to just have sex with him?

"It was too fast both of those times. I wasn't ready then either but I let it happen and I wished after I hadn't. I don't want to feel like that again, okay?"

How awesome is it that the girl is honest with her thoughts on sex. She didn't say "never", she wanted to take her time, have some control, learn from past mistakes.

And his is how she was rewarded by the MAIN FUCKING CHARACTER OF THE NOVEL:

"But like a jerk I kept trying, and talking, and trying some more. Not just that night but a lot of nights. Mostly I was just really pissed that I was still a virgin and she wasn't."

Okay, I figure that this point, some people are thinking, "That sucks, but can you really define him as a rapist?"

I was pissed off when I was reading the above, but this broke me.

"I tried every ploy I could think of." He keeps TRYING TO PUSH HER TO HAVE SEX. He isn't a jerk, he is trying to rape his girlfriend.

And here is the really REALLY screwed up part. He broke up with her, said some things to make her feel "crappy". He places the blame on her. And this boy is wanting to get back with her. He wants to date her again. He keeps trying to figure out how to date her, even though she treats him with earned disdain.

He is a criminal. I don't even care about reading the book to see if he turns out "a better person". I am honestly afraid that he might win her back at the end, and I couldn't handle that.

I can't STAND male POV because all I hear about is sex, lack of sex, and the hotness of the girls. Attempted rape is just a "mean" thing, and not a crime.

Male privilege, right here, folks.

[Sherwood Smith]

Copy provided by NetGalley

I've really liked the books I've read from Dundurn Press in Canada, and this one was no exception.

Andy "Alamo" Crockett is fifteen and in high school, part of The Six, some outsider kids. He's actually the seventh, so not quite in the group, but accepted by them. He's a wrestling student, and newly broken up with his girlfriend, who he tried to push into having sex with him, and her anger is one of the threads of the story.

The main thread is the first teacher to excite Andy, Mr. R. who is cool, charismatic, and organizes his social studies class around experiments that engage the students and cause them to think. But as time goes on, Mr. R insidiously uses his charm and influence not only to reshape the students into anti-Semites, but by suggestion he singles out a couple of those outsiders, encouraging them to an action that will gain his approbation.

This involves a bit of history that we are told about at the beginning of the story. It's tied together at the end. Before then, Andy has some bad experiences, some weird experiences, and some good ones, like dating a serious and smart student named Patti. The ending of the main thread is so strong, and so very right, that my first emotions were that the book was one of the better YA reads of this year.

And to a certain extent, I still feel that way. Poulsen clearly knows kids, and the way they think. He has the language down, especially of boys. The pacing is so fast that I read the book in two sittings. Some of Andy's experiences are really odd, but almost everything comes together at the end in a powerful way. The one thread that doesn't is the one having to do with the girls. I felt that that thread was left dangling, weakening the book somewhat. I would have loved for Patti and Andy to resolve things, and especially for him to realize what he'd done to earn Diana's hatred and revenge.

Another aspect that made me a little queasy was not only all the sex of underage kids, but all the drinking. That said, I'd put this book in the hands of smart teen readers, in hopes of sparking some talk about all these subjects. And again, that ending line was just so very right.

[La La · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was mediocre at its best, and had some things that were hard to believe to set up the story, like 10th graders in Canada not knowing what the Holocost was. Then the last 20% of the book got ridiculous. I was sorry I hadn't DNFed it instead of ending up wasting my time with a lame ending. Too bad because it was a good premise, but badly executed. The writing was very amateurish, too. It needs a good editor. I was approved for this eARC via Edelweiss in return for an honest review. I will not be reviewing this book on my blog because it is less than 4 stars.

[Carolyn Scarcella · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book I’m reading is "Numbers" by David A. Poulsen. Andy Crockett is a teenager and is in high school, 10th grade. He doesn’t fit in at his new school ― not with the goths, not with the jocks, and certainly not with the brains. He loves his social class because the teacher Mr. Retzlaff seems to be popular with everyone at school. He began to learn whether Mr. Retzlaff might not be so cool after all. I was expecting this book to be good, but I didn’t enjoy the writing, the plot because it seemed not flowing. If other people loved the book, that’s great.

[Sarah Monsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andy Crockett has no luck. He doesn't fit in to any of the popular groups at school -- he's not even officially part of the group of misfits he hangs out with. He nearly had a steady girlfriend, a girl he really liked, but he managed to blow it, and now she hates him. Fortunately, grade ten is starting to look like it might be a lot better than grade nine now that Andy's managed to score the coolest teacher in school for social studies.

Mr. R teaches his students to question everything, including popular portrayals of history. But when he teaches the unit on World War II, Andy will have to think long and hard to decide who and what to believe, especially when his actions could mean the difference between the harm or the safety of someone in town.

I chose this book to read and review because I found the premise so compelling. What would happen if one of the social studies teachers in a school was a Holocaust denier? Especially the cool teacher that had all the kids' respect. What a great question! I'm still contemplating it after reading the story. Mr. R. uses some really powerful activities to get the kids thinking along the lines he's planned, he's a master manipulator, and he understands the cynicism of teenagers well enough to mold their thinking.

Though these aspects of the plot intrigued me, I was disappointed in Andy, the main character. He was so ignorant that I kept being surprised that he was in high school. His peer pressure and hormone-infused interactions with others seemed realistic enough, but I had trouble imagining that any kid in North America would get to grade 10 without having learned something about World War II or even about religions other than Christianity.

I can't say I enjoyed reading Numbers. It's not a happy or particularly redeeming story. Nonetheless, I think the story poses many important questions, and that perhaps, if it is read and discussed, many of the issues raised could lead to conversations on ethics that would truly engage middle school or high school students.

I received an electronic Advance Reader Copy of Numbers in exchange for an honest review courtesy of the publisher, Dundurn, and NetGall

[bookSmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I relate to Andy’s quest for belonging and his connection to his enthusiastic History teacher.
I appreciate what this thought-provoking novel was trying to do: make the reader think deeply about both the Holocaust and the influence of those in authority. Unfortunately, it missed fully developing the perspectives on the Holocaust. I needed to hear a little more directly from Mr. R and a lot more from Patti. Their perspectives would have allowed the reader (and Andy) to think more deeply. There is something satisfyingly perfect about the novel’s end.

The thing I liked least (even if it is somewhat realistic) was all the unnecessary sex and drinking references. The number of references blurs the message. If it were not for those references, this book would be ideal for Grade 7-9 students. As it is, the novel is best for more mature critical thinkers.

(Source: eARC from NetGalley)

[Janna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book - I read it in one day. The characters are intriguing and the voice of the main character was really well done. It captured life in small-town Canada (province was never given, but I assume not in Saskatchewan) really well.

I remember at one point when I was in elementary school, or maybe it was junior high? Anyway, the whole thing elsewhere in Alberta went down, with the social studies teacher who was teaching his students that the Holocaust never happened. So while I wasn't one of those students, this book was somewhat personal for me.

It also shows really clearly how easy it can be to get people to think things that are absolutely false, simply by playing on their ignorance and making yourself sound neutral when you really, really aren't.

Highly recommend, though with the warning that the book has a lot of anti-Semitism in it (the book itself is NOT anti-Semitic).

[Deborah Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

TEEN LIT. This book is about Andy Crockett, who is having an awesome year, all because he has the best teacher he has ever had. This social studies teacher makes his students question and think about things in a way they never have before. However, when one student questions the teacher's beliefs, his reaction is quite different than what he preaches. Hard to believe that there are actually people out there who believe that there wasn't a holocaust during WWII.

[Will Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I didn't know what this book was going to be about, as Andy describes his friend group, but then as I realized that the teacher was setting up the students to believe in his anti-Semitic viewpoints, it got really stressful. As someone with more life experience than Andy, I could see the tactics Mr. R was using, and I actually had a physical reaction to them, it was that horrifying.
It was clear that it was all building up to something big, but when that plot point two of Andy's "friends" plot to burn down a Jewish woman's house came up, it still felt unexpected and poorly executed. I'm not sure how it could have been handled better though. It didn't help that Andy was pretty self-centered and unobservant.
I also feel that Patti should have had more of a voice and a presence than she did.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the writing style but wonder why sex and the 'f' word has to be thrown in. I work in a high school library and some 'stuff' is just over the top and when I see the 'f' word, it means I'll weed it out. Kids are hearing/seeing enough so the school library should be a place where they won't. And it really makes me cringe when I hear/see the word. I think it's a respect issue.

[Joey Gremillion · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreadful!!

[fatima˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Many thanks to the publisher, Dundurn Press, for providing me with a complementary review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinions of this book.*

Although I didn't expect much from this book, it still surpassed what little expectations I had of it. The premise sounded fun & lighthearted so obviously the first thing I thought was 'count me in!' All in all, it was a good book but there were still so many things that irked me about it and made me want to stop reading, which I'll be going into below.

First of all, can I just say how refreshing it is reading about a teenage protagonist who isn't always perfect? The main character in this book is a 10th grader -- like me -- and is pretty flawed at that. Andy never fit in with the goths, geeks, or nerds at school, even with the group of six misfits he hangs out with, The Six. His year finally looks up when he scores the coolest social studies teacher ever, Mr. Retzlaff. However, things start to go downhill as he discovers that he isn't quite as cool as he made him out to be.

It took me a while to finish this book, mostly due to the fact that I couldn't get past the first few 50 pages. After that, however, everything started flowing smoothly until I reached the end of the book. As I was reading, there were parts here and there that really annoyed me, like Andy's attitude toward girls. I understand that he's in 10th grade and things like that are quite common at that age but his slut-shaming comments about some girls lead me to believe that Andy's probably not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Also, when he agreed to help burn down the old lady's house, I was practically shaking my head the whole time. How could someone be that ignorant? Frankly, he was an ignoramus of a jerk 70% of the time.

Okay, now that I've gotten the more unpleasant aspects of the book out of my way, I'd like to discuss what I liked the most. I love how the various dynamics between members of The Six were portrayed, how each character interacted with the other and how Andy didn't quite fit in with them because of that. They were such a weird group of 'friends' that it actually intrigued me.

Also, each character was really well-developed and dimensional, so you could easily differentiate between them. Especially The Six. Usually, books with a wide-ranging character cast tend to confuse me, but the various characters in this book just served to immerse me even further into the book, which I looved!

So in the end, I can't precisely say I ENJOYED reading Numbers since it wasn't particularly merry-go-round happy, but there were aspects of the story that I found to be redeeming, such as the characters and their dynamics. The main character was flawed, very flawed, and grated on my nerves at times but he was closer to the actual depiction of a hormonal teenage boy rather than the typical swoon-worthy ones in other books. Breaking the mold almost always gets bonus points in my book!

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Fifteen-year-old Andy Crockett has never been what anyone would call lucky. Always on the outside, he doesn’t seem to fit in at home, and is barely tolerated by a group of misfits called “The Six” at school. At the beginning of his Grade 10 year, it looks like his luck is about to change when he’s assigned the super-cool Mr. Retzlaff for Social. Social is cool from day one, covering topics such as WWII and the Holocaust, and encouraging the students to think and to question. But when Andy starts to realize that Mr. R’s version of history doesn’t match everyone else’s, he starts to question how far he is willing to go to belong. David Poulsen is at his strongest when he tackles difficult issues for teens, and this book is no exception. While the plot centres on Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, there are a number of deeper issues at play in the novel as well. Mr. Retzlaff’s teaching is about looking at the world from different points of view, and not blindly accepting the popular view, which are crucial concepts for today’s students to understand. Also key to the story is Andy’s desperate desire to fit in, and that makes him particularly impressionable. What especially makes the novel interesting is how the principles of individual thinking that Mr. Retzlaff teaches are so effective that – despite his eagerness to please his teacher – Andy comes to the realization that he can and must think for himself, and not blindly accept someone else’s point of view. A thought-provoking ending will leave readers thinking about this book long beyond reading, offering a powerful message about the irreparable damage that can be caused when we don’t ask the important questions.

Reviewed by Rachel Steen in Canadian Children's Book News
Spring 2009 VOL.32 NO.2

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really awesome and I actually stayed up past midnight to finish it. ON A WORK NIGHT. Ouch. And actually, it didn't grab me at first, I just thought it was going to be a typical high school misfit guy story; I didn't really like 'Alamo' or 'The Six' that much at first. But then that first mention of super-teacher Mr. R got me in... and kept me there.

I wish the book had been longer, with more detail! It just felt like it only scratched the surface and the idea was fascinating... a history teacher who is a holocaust denier. Yowzer! I've certainly never come across THAT before, and the creepy thing is, he really does make you think - clearly not about the holocaust itself, but his point that a lot of history is told by the winners and clearly they will make themselves look better and the losers look like they deserved it... but then he starts banging on about pictures being faked and how the Jews totally made it all up and okay, the guy is nuts. It's still so fascinating though! And loosely kind of linked back to this disaster at the local plant some fifty odd years ago, where his uncle (? grandfather?) was saved by a young Jewish girl, who is now the old Jewish lady the town terrorises - thanks to Mr. R - because he and others like to imagine that SHE caused the explosion in order to save the guy and make herself look good. I mean, wtf right?

Like I said, these people are nuts. But it makes for a really interesting book!

[Wanda Gibbons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have the first copy of Numbers that David ever signed. I bought it from him at Word on the Street in Lethbridge. Unfortunately the sex and alcohol make it a risky read for my school.

It was odd that the dad him Andy have the car but Andy didn't get his license until the next week. Maybe I missed somthing.

Andy Crockett doesn’t fit in at his new school — not with the goths, not with the jocks, and certainly not with the brains. Not even, really, with The Six, a group of misfits who hang out with each other mostly because they can’t stand hanging out with anyone else.

But maybe Andy’s luck is changing … and all because he is in Mr. Reztlaff’s grade ten social class — Mr. Retzlaff, the coolest teacher; in fact, the coolest thing about Parkerville Comprehensive. Social is awesome from day one. It’s the class that looks at World War II, Hitler, and the Holocaust. It’s the class Andy wants to ace — and make Mr. Retzlaff proud.

But eventually Andy also begins to understand that acing the class might just have a greater cost than he’s willing to pay. And when it turns out that Mr. Retzlaff might not be so cool after all, Andy is facing the most difficult decision of his life.

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I pulled this novel off the library shelf for my teenage daughter to read but it didn't interest her (in hindsight, I'm glad). Since I still thought the premise was interesting (teacher "teaches" the Holocaust wasn't true) in light of all the other falsehoods taught in the name of education, I decided to read it.

The story handled the "lie" becoming "truth" okay. I actually would have liked more from Patti, who I consider the heroine of the story. The denial of the Holocaust, which still exists today, should have been flushed out more. The Lack of interest of the parents in what their child was learning was irresponsible especially since their older child had already gone through that teacher's class.

What greatly detracts from the story is the sex and alcohol. The lack of parental involvement in these areas seems to coincide with the lack of involvement in any area of the child's life. If the author wanted it in the story to make that point, there are other ways or at least have kept it to a minimum.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

For full review please go to: 5girlsbookreviews.blogspot.com, Twitter @camartinez and Facebook "5 Girls Book Reviews"

REVIEW BY: Angel, 13 almost 14!

MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:

This novel was a good way to look at the world differently. This book gave me an open mind about several historical events. I have never really thought about others perspective about Jews and The Holocaust. I now see everyone has a different view.

This book was about a boy named Andy Crockett and he has an amazing teacher that can teach him every thing.

However, when Mr. R teaches about the Holocaust he starts acting weird and trying to convince the kids that this event isn't real. Andy soon learns that his teacher despises Jews.

All of Andy's friends will do anything for their new teacher even if it means burning down an old house Jews used to live in. Andy doesn't understand what is wrong with Jews and is having second thoughts about his teacher.

My favorite part is when Andy signs the petition to bring Mr. R back by writing the numbers on a Jewish lady's arm.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize what this book was about at first--the book begins by developing the character's POV and his relationships at school. I thought it was weird how much Alamo (main character) admired his teacher, Mr. R, but didn't think much of it until I finally figured out what was happening. Mr. R is a Holocaust denier--he is Anti-Semitic and subtly tries to convince his students about how bad Jewish people are. It was creepy to read his speeches to the students because it goes to show how charisma can be used to convince people of anything.

I liked this book more than I thought I would, although I wouldn't recommend it to my 8th grade students who are currently learning about the Holocaust. There are too many references to drugs and sex and I think it would distract them from the message of the story. I might recommend it to older readers.

I received an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[K Fray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Any book with interesting dynamics between the students and their teachers is sure to get my attention. Thus, seeing the description of this book meant it was one I absolutely had to pick up.

Going in, we know that Mr. R, the much beloved Social 10 teacher, isn't going to be as shiny as we think. Unfortunately, that seems to be the entire plot. I found it personally difficult to believe Mr. R's position at the school (not among the students; that I understand) and the conclusion of his arc was anti-climactic at best. I enjoyed the premise, and the historical discussions (both of what happened and what some believe happened, on both sides), but overall the book feels like it reached for something and just missed.

It's not good, it's not bad...it's just "meh." I wished there'd been more meat.

[Carol E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a month since I finished a book! This one was very good.. a young adult book, a page turner in the last third or so. A teenage boy is a new kid in town. He doesn't really fit in with any of the groups except on the fringe of the out-casts who call themselves The Six. He finds his niche at various times, sometimes with the The Six and sometimes with girls. He has a favorite teacher who grabs his attention and causes him to think about things he'd never considered before. This also leads to some problems in which he has to sort out his thinking in a hurry. Good attention-grabbing book. Maybe I got my reading mojo back! I hope so.

[Stacy Moll · Rating 5 out of 5]

One only has to look at social media to know that the plot of this story is something that really happens. It is very scary to think that there are deniers teaching our children, but I am sure there are at least a few. The young minds are so easy to influence, parents and administrators, must be on the lookout, to keep people like this from influencing their children. I was so disappointed in Andy and his desire to be one of the popular kids, that he was willing to help them do something so dispicable. This is a book that ought to be read out loud in school and then discussed.

[Jonathan Peto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it.

I especially liked the premise: a skilled teacher uses his popularity to spread his abhorrent views. I wasn't necessarily convinced that the main character, Andy, would behave as he did leading up to the climatic scene, mainly because I thought he'd already matured more than that, but maybe.

Andy is an interesting character even though he's a little bit of a meathead.

Poor guy, I wish he got the girl.

[Stephi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I would have cut a few parts out but who am I to say anything. I really liked how he explored the theme and showed how easily you can be washed into someone else's thinking. my major complain was that this book was too short and I felt like there was all this build up and then rushed to end the book. I am curious about his other books now.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many things to love about this book. I loved how the author tackled a very difficult and disturbing subject and fearlessly took his readers to those dark places of hate, prejudice and hopefully for Andy, redemption. He did such a great job of the teacher, Mr. R, showing how he so successfully manipulated the children in his classroom like a spider drawing prey into its web. A great read. Highly recommend.

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ending. But the story itself was missing depth. But maybe It's light because it's for young adults? And with a male protagonist maybe the story was kept simple to expand the demographic of readers?

What I did like was the contemplation of morals throughout. That alone is a difficult topic for youth.

Characters are around 16-17 yrs old, so I'm assuming the book is for 13-15 year olds.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story that outlines the impact and importance of the teacher student relationship, how hate is still prevlaent today due to ignorance, and the importance of critical thinking, even when dealing with mentors/idols/friends. Content and language appropriate for intermediate students.

Canadian author. Purchased from the Reading for the Love of It conference in 2016.

[The Jewish Book Council]

"A YA graphic novel about Holocaust denial, 'Numbers' a sleeper with a complex plot which will thoroughly engage teenage readers." Review by Marge Kaplan for the Jewish Book Council.

[Sylvia McNicoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating look at how a charismatic teacher can lead students astray. Slow build until the reader herself must make choices along with the main character.

[Pamela McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standing up for what you know is right can be very difficult to do - especially if you have a lot to lose. Poulsen explores this while keeping the character's voice true.

[rima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange, but good and the ending is just perfect.