Beckoners pb [Paperback]

I'm a fan of The Body of Christopher Creed and What Happened to Lani Garver by Plum-Ucci because the author tells it how it is...Carrie Mac does the same in The Beckoners...The Beckoners is not a mystery (like Plum-Ucci's books), but a realistic portrayal of what happens in high schools...There are so many "life is so great...blah, blah, blah..." books that it is nice to have a book that deals with what life can really be like.

There she was: perched at the top of the jungle gym, stocky, about Zoe's age, short auburn hair stuck up all over the place on purpose, olive green cargo shorts, black tank top, a cigarette pinched between her first and second fingers like a joint, bare feet dangling over the edge, a pair of skater shoes and a puddle of butts on the ground under her. The Beckoners, written by Carrie Mac, is about Zoe, the new girl, April, the geek, and the fall of a five girl empire know as the Beckoners. Once again, Zoe is forced to move due to her mom's job, this time to the small town of Abbotsford. Here Zoe meets Beck, your typical high school bully, and her gang of minions, the Beckoners. Beck decides to make an "investment" in Zoe and initiates her into the Beckoners against her will. Keeping busy is Zoe's only way to avoid hanging out with the Beckoners, so she joins the school paper where she meets her future boyfriend, Leaf, and April, more commonly known as Dog, a regular victim of Beck. Zoe ends up irritating the Beckoners so badly that they painfully un-initiate her. Beck tells her that if she stays out of her way then they wont mess with her anymore. Zoe soon finds out that that is easier said than done when the Beckoners continue to harass April. After nearly killing April and hanging April's dog, Shadow, Zoe comes up with a plan, with the help of Leaf, April, and two other friends, Simon and Teo, to take care of the Beckoners for good. Zoe tells the Beckoners that they made April commit suicide and get them to turn themselves into the police. I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone.

Abbotsford was an excellent town to set the story in. It's a little Christian town in the middle of nowhere (fully equipped with a large neon cross) making all of the characters, other than April, misfits. They are all atheists, and refer to most of Abbotsford's citizens as "the Jesus freaks." Simon and Teo were also gay, creating a great conflict with the perfect little town. The scenery played an important role throughout the story, such as the bandstand where Zoe was initiated and April was nearly killed. I can't think of a better place for the story to take place than Abbotsford.

My favorite thing about this novel was the characters. Each had a distinct personality which made them seem realistic. Simon was always very outspoken, so when the Beckoners came into Zoe's science class to burn April's notebook it was expected that he would somehow make the tense moment comical. April on the other hand was always quiet, so when she was teased and tormented while walking down the halls she acted as if she was oblivious to the people around her, keeping her feelings private. The one person whose actions were always unexpected were Zoe's because she changed so much throughout the story. Great stories need great characters, and this novel definitely delivered.

This story was also very realistic. In high school rumors spread fast and they do the same in this story. When the "What Would You Do?" section was released in the school newspaper, it was a matter of periods before the Beckoners were rampaging throughout the school, looking for April and Zoe. This book is the sad truth about what being a teenager is really like. It doesn't try to make life seem perfect and everyone get along. This could be any real teenager's story.

From the moment Zoe leaves Prince George to the look on the Beckoners' faces as they walk into the police station, The Beckoners quenches the reader's thirst for drama. Its setting, characters, and truth draw the reader in and don't let go until there is nothing left to read. I look forward to reading more of Mac's work in the near future. If you want to read a story filled with excitement and drama you have to pick up The Beckoners.

- R. Martin

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