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Narc
“You’re going to hate me forever when you learn my secret.”
When his little sister is caught with a bag of weed, seventeen-year-old Aaron Foster takes the fall. To keep the cops from tearing his family apart, Aaron agrees to go undercover and help bust the dealer who’s funneling drugs into his Miami high school. But making friends with the school’s biggest players isn’t easy for a waste-case loner from the wrong part of town.
Stuck between the cops on one hand and a crazy party scene on the other, Aaron befriends Morgan Baskin—a cute but troubled rich girl who might be his link to the supplier. But just when he realizes he’s falling for Morgan, the unbearable weight of his lies threatens to crush them both.
When his little sister is caught with a bag of weed, seventeen-year-old Aaron Foster takes the fall. To keep the cops from tearing his family apart, Aaron agrees to go undercover and help bust the dealer who’s funneling drugs into his Miami high school. But making friends with the school’s biggest players isn’t easy for a waste-case loner from the wrong part of town.
Stuck between the cops on one hand and a crazy party scene on the other, Aaron befriends Morgan Baskin—a cute but troubled rich girl who might be his link to the supplier. But just when he realizes he’s falling for Morgan, the unbearable weight of his lies threatens to crush them both.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
11 people are currently reading
1456 people want to read
About the author
Crissa-Jean Chappell
8 books148 followersCrissa-Jean Chappell was born in Miami and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut young adult novel, TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER (HarperTeen) is a NYPL Book For The Teen Age and a VOYA Perfect Ten. Chappell’s second novel, NARC (Flux Books) is currently optioned for film. MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH (Flux Books) is a Florida Book Awards medalist, which Kirkus calls, "compelling and emotionally nuanced." Chappell's newest YA novel is SNOWBIRDS (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers). “…an engrossing mystery,” School Library Journal. Next up: SUN DON’T SHINE (Fitzroy Books, spring 2024). She holds a PhD and MFA from the University of Miami and has taught creative writing and cinema studies for over fifteen years. When she misses South Florida, she talks to the parrots in Green-Wood Cemetery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
August 20, 2012
I've just finished reading this book - like ten minutes ago - and I'm breaking my own rule as you can see (I try not to write a review the same day that I finish the book). I'm sitting here in front of my shitty computer (I really need a laptop!) and trying to say something meaningful about Narc. So, I go and make another mistake - I google the author. And I like her and now I can't write all those shitty things I've been thinking about last night after I've read first half of the book. Like, how I hate that every author lately, in the lack of the better solution, decide that one of the reasons for main character being messed up is that his father or brother died somewhere in the Middle East - thousand miles away from his peacfull home where the bigest problem is that you are "human wallpaper, a stoner wastecase" or being rich brat with too much freedom. Boo-friggin-hoo. Or maybe, I've read too much books with military background last month. Who knows?
I woke up late this morning, took a cup of coffee and curled on my favorite reading spot. And I read the book. My third cup of coffee got cold - I was so cought up in the story that I forgot about it. I felt guilty for all "shitty things" that I've been thinking - because in the end it's not another glorified story about American soldiers who are "saving the world". No, not at all. It's about kid who can't save himself, let alone somebody else. But he tries and along the way finds friends, girlfriend and, maybe in the end his own way how to deal with the rest of the world.
In the beginning I was little bit confused - Narc is written in this hectic style and you have to go back and look for clues. First I was annoyed but then I realized that it's author's way to express all the feellings and inner drama which Aaron was going through. This book deserves to be called "realistic" - I won't tell you why I think that - than this post would be me telling you everything that happens in this book and than there would be no need for you to read it. (Don't you just hate when people mix up review and summarising the storyline of the novel?)
If you want to see how would Narc look like in the pictures, go the the Crissa's Tumblr. There you will also find some extra parts of the story - nice touch. My personal favorite would be this picture:
Read the book and tell me why!
Until next time,
Glass
***NOTE! Copy of the book is kindly provided by the publisher, Flux, via NetGalley. I'm not paid for writing review - I do this for free as lover of written word. All opinions in this review are personal.
I woke up late this morning, took a cup of coffee and curled on my favorite reading spot. And I read the book. My third cup of coffee got cold - I was so cought up in the story that I forgot about it. I felt guilty for all "shitty things" that I've been thinking - because in the end it's not another glorified story about American soldiers who are "saving the world". No, not at all. It's about kid who can't save himself, let alone somebody else. But he tries and along the way finds friends, girlfriend and, maybe in the end his own way how to deal with the rest of the world.
In the beginning I was little bit confused - Narc is written in this hectic style and you have to go back and look for clues. First I was annoyed but then I realized that it's author's way to express all the feellings and inner drama which Aaron was going through. This book deserves to be called "realistic" - I won't tell you why I think that - than this post would be me telling you everything that happens in this book and than there would be no need for you to read it. (Don't you just hate when people mix up review and summarising the storyline of the novel?)
If you want to see how would Narc look like in the pictures, go the the Crissa's Tumblr. There you will also find some extra parts of the story - nice touch. My personal favorite would be this picture:
Read the book and tell me why!
Until next time,
Glass
***NOTE! Copy of the book is kindly provided by the publisher, Flux, via NetGalley. I'm not paid for writing review - I do this for free as lover of written word. All opinions in this review are personal.
January 3, 2013
I am giving a big round of applause to Criss-Jean Chappell for having the guts to be real here. I greatly appreciated how she handled so many aspects of this story, especially the end.
This is a hard review to write because my feelings vary so widely here. I adored the flawed, dumb teen boy main character who also is an honorable, loving brother and son. In contemp fiction we so often have a flawed male MC designed to swoon us with his bad boy ways, then he evolves into the perfect male that we all want to fall in love with. Well, you don't get that here and I loved it! You get a regular kid making stupid choices, who lacks guidance but not love. His mom cares but is absent because she's a single parent. This is real life. He's had to grow up quick, in the blink of an eye and is totally not equipped to handle it.
Chappell pulls no punches in keeping Aaron from failing and falling into the games of others as he tries to navigate this new world he's had to force his way into. He's a mess but he's real. What's not always real for me is how far fetched the story gets at times. Chappell brings us right back to reality though so I was left feeling torn....did I really like this story or did I just really like Aaron? And I have a feeling that not many people will even really like Aaron because he's just so normal. A normal messed up, mixed up, everyday average joe teenage boy. I see them everyday in my line of work and my heart goes out to them. It's really freaking hard being a teen. And it's really freaking hard being an invisable one too.
July 12, 2012
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I went into this novel with no expectations. I liked the cover and the first line of the synopsis had me hooked. You're going to hate me forever when you learn my secret. That pulled me into this novel. I was slightly hesitant to read this novel because it's about drugs, but I figured I'd give it a shot.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. I liked the writing style and I actually did like the character Aaron. Even though he had clearly messed up and got in drugs, I liked him more than I had anticipated. He was about the only character I liked. Morgan and Skully intrigued me, but Aaron was one that I actually liked. Aaron became a narc to help save his sister and so he decided to become one. It was an intriguing premise.
I've mentioned that I had no expectations for this novel, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The novel was well-written and the characters were well-developed.
So why four stars? I originally had this at a three because this isn't typically the type of book I like to read. However, the more I thought about it, I decided this is actually a 4 star novel. The writing was brilliant and while I might not have loved the subject of the novel, I was sucked into the novel. An intriguing read and definitely one that was well-written. You just need to decide if the plot line is for you.
In Summary: A novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Wonderful writing with intriguing characters that led to an intriguing and entertaining story.
Warnings/Side-notes: It's about drugs so of course the novel mentions drugs several times. There were several instances of strong language. Some minor violence in the novel and sexual undertones. Not your cleanest read, but definitely not a filthy read. Not for young readers, but I think older teens could handle this just fine.
The Wrap-up: This was a unique book for me to pick up. I took a chance on it and I'm glad I did. It was an addicting read. Definitely glad I read this one. If you like novels that look at the edgier side of young adult fiction, I definitely recommend this one.
Love,
Danica Page
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I went into this novel with no expectations. I liked the cover and the first line of the synopsis had me hooked. You're going to hate me forever when you learn my secret. That pulled me into this novel. I was slightly hesitant to read this novel because it's about drugs, but I figured I'd give it a shot.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. I liked the writing style and I actually did like the character Aaron. Even though he had clearly messed up and got in drugs, I liked him more than I had anticipated. He was about the only character I liked. Morgan and Skully intrigued me, but Aaron was one that I actually liked. Aaron became a narc to help save his sister and so he decided to become one. It was an intriguing premise.
I've mentioned that I had no expectations for this novel, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The novel was well-written and the characters were well-developed.
So why four stars? I originally had this at a three because this isn't typically the type of book I like to read. However, the more I thought about it, I decided this is actually a 4 star novel. The writing was brilliant and while I might not have loved the subject of the novel, I was sucked into the novel. An intriguing read and definitely one that was well-written. You just need to decide if the plot line is for you.
In Summary: A novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Wonderful writing with intriguing characters that led to an intriguing and entertaining story.
Warnings/Side-notes: It's about drugs so of course the novel mentions drugs several times. There were several instances of strong language. Some minor violence in the novel and sexual undertones. Not your cleanest read, but definitely not a filthy read. Not for young readers, but I think older teens could handle this just fine.
The Wrap-up: This was a unique book for me to pick up. I took a chance on it and I'm glad I did. It was an addicting read. Definitely glad I read this one. If you like novels that look at the edgier side of young adult fiction, I definitely recommend this one.
Love,
Danica Page
July 25, 2013
E-galley received from Netgalley for review.
"You're going to hate me forever when you learn my secret"
This sentence practically drew me in. It's very powerful. I would've read the book just for this sentence alone.
In order to protect his younger sister, 17-year-old stoner Aaron Foster is practically forced to become a "narc" and help the cops discover who is dealing drugs to the students of Miami's Palm Hammock High School. This is not easy for him. Previously, he was "human wallpaper" and just drifted by; now he mingles with everyone, trying to get to know people and scoring invites to the coolest parties.
In this way, he gets to know cute, but troubled art-girl Morgan and her best friend, Skully. He starts feeling protective of the girls, especially of Morgan with whom he's now having a relationship, and tries to work out a way to keep up his end of the deal with the police, while at the same time not ratting the girls out. In fact, Morgan has sold small quant of weed in the past, and Skully let her do it at her parties. It's hard for Aaron to keep lying to all his friends, but he needs to stay true to his character or things could get ugly for him and his family.
I thought this book was interesting, but it didn't grab me completely. At times I found myself just wishing things would just hurry up. There was some cool symbolism in the book which I didn't get at first (and probably still woudn't, if I hadn't read a review on Goodreads pointing it out): Aaron observing mama bird and her little ones from his window, which stands for his desire to take care of his family; and Aaron playing magic tricks, hinting at the skill he needs to have in order not to blow his cover.
I liked this, but I didn't love it. The ending was bittersweet and appropriate, and in some way it was the only ending possible. I'm just slightly perplexed because the book seemed overall a bit weak to me. I'm not sure why.
Cover attraction: I think the double image of the guy refers to Aaron's secret identity as a "narc". It also hints at him being lonely, "human wallpaper" as he puts it. I like this cover, even though, like the book, it's nothing exceptional (still refreshing from the long line of pretty-girl-in-a-long-dress covers, though.)
"You're going to hate me forever when you learn my secret"
This sentence practically drew me in. It's very powerful. I would've read the book just for this sentence alone.
In order to protect his younger sister, 17-year-old stoner Aaron Foster is practically forced to become a "narc" and help the cops discover who is dealing drugs to the students of Miami's Palm Hammock High School. This is not easy for him. Previously, he was "human wallpaper" and just drifted by; now he mingles with everyone, trying to get to know people and scoring invites to the coolest parties.
In this way, he gets to know cute, but troubled art-girl Morgan and her best friend, Skully. He starts feeling protective of the girls, especially of Morgan with whom he's now having a relationship, and tries to work out a way to keep up his end of the deal with the police, while at the same time not ratting the girls out. In fact, Morgan has sold small quant of weed in the past, and Skully let her do it at her parties. It's hard for Aaron to keep lying to all his friends, but he needs to stay true to his character or things could get ugly for him and his family.
I thought this book was interesting, but it didn't grab me completely. At times I found myself just wishing things would just hurry up. There was some cool symbolism in the book which I didn't get at first (and probably still woudn't, if I hadn't read a review on Goodreads pointing it out): Aaron observing mama bird and her little ones from his window, which stands for his desire to take care of his family; and Aaron playing magic tricks, hinting at the skill he needs to have in order not to blow his cover.
I liked this, but I didn't love it. The ending was bittersweet and appropriate, and in some way it was the only ending possible. I'm just slightly perplexed because the book seemed overall a bit weak to me. I'm not sure why.
Cover attraction: I think the double image of the guy refers to Aaron's secret identity as a "narc". It also hints at him being lonely, "human wallpaper" as he puts it. I like this cover, even though, like the book, it's nothing exceptional (still refreshing from the long line of pretty-girl-in-a-long-dress covers, though.)
October 22, 2012
When Aaron Foster is stopped for speeding and the cop finds a baggie with weed, Aaron's life takes a major turn . . . and not for the better. To keep from going to jail and making his mom's life more miserable than it already is, he agrees to become a narc. From then on the story is about Aaron's failure as both narc (at least for the most part) and as a boyfriend.
The writing is very strong. I was impressed by the cliche-free chapters that still managed to capture the teen voices. And I enjoyed some of the fresh images the author created.
I love contemporary, realistic fiction, so I came to this book with a slight bias, but Chappell still had to make be believe in her characters and she did. I felt for Aaron. I recognized his girlfriend, Morgan, and the girl named Skully--sad girls with everything and nothing.
The only thing I didn't like 100% was the pacing toward the end of the book. I felt it slowed and didn't build well, and was sorry that happened.
The writing is very strong. I was impressed by the cliche-free chapters that still managed to capture the teen voices. And I enjoyed some of the fresh images the author created.
I love contemporary, realistic fiction, so I came to this book with a slight bias, but Chappell still had to make be believe in her characters and she did. I felt for Aaron. I recognized his girlfriend, Morgan, and the girl named Skully--sad girls with everything and nothing.
The only thing I didn't like 100% was the pacing toward the end of the book. I felt it slowed and didn't build well, and was sorry that happened.
September 2, 2012
I really liked this book. There have been few times where I have to stop reading a book because I worry about what's happening. Hunger Games after Rue was one. This was another. Not because it was scary or dark, but because there was no one there to worry about Aaron and I worried for him. His mother existed in the sense that she's alive, but other than that, not a parental figure in the least. Had she had a bigger presence in his life, he wouldn't have gone down the road he ended up on.
I feel like the adults in Aaron's life failed him, and as a result, he lost the only people he cared for or would have cared for him (Skully, Morgan, Haylie). Still, life is like that and all actions have consequences and we have to move on.
Great job, Crissa. Look forward to reading your next book! :-D
I feel like the adults in Aaron's life failed him, and as a result, he lost the only people he cared for or would have cared for him (Skully, Morgan, Haylie). Still, life is like that and all actions have consequences and we have to move on.
Great job, Crissa. Look forward to reading your next book! :-D
June 28, 2012
A riveting tale about a teens adventures being a narc for the Narcotics unit in Miami. Aaron must decide between being a narc, him being tried as an adult for possession/going to jail, or his little sister being charged with possession/going to jail. He decides to take what seems to be the lesser of the evils, and becomes a narc. Little does Aaron know, what being a narc involves. He is going from his normal days to having to be more outgoing and hanging out with a crowd that he normally doesn't. Along the way he meets Morgan, and starts falling for her. Now he has to figure out how to protect her, yet make the bust work.
**Full review @ http://jeninicole83.blogspot.com/2012... **
**Full review @ http://jeninicole83.blogspot.com/2012... **
June 11, 2012
Narc is the brainchild of author, Crissa-Jean Chappell, known for crafting heart-wrenching, emotional and poignant novels regarding the human condition. This novel is no exception. Written from a male POV, which is tricky as it is, Narc embraces the emotional underbelly of society and brings the humanity of all its characters to life. The sparse, haunting prose isn’t flowery or too descriptive. Rather, the emotions, the themes and the pain takes center stage making the story incredibly raw and real, despite the dark tones. With extreme empathy and endless feeling, Narc soars.
Read the full review here:
http://www.iswimforoceans.com/2012/06...
Read the full review here:
http://www.iswimforoceans.com/2012/06...
April 19, 2012
Aaron--flipped to be an informant after being picked up for drugs.
Morgan--emo/goth girl, dancer who cuts herself; Aaron is interested.
I am buying this for my Ellen Hopkins kids. It's not poetry, but the same type of drama they love. The dialogue and characters feel real. I have met these kids before.
Morgan--emo/goth girl, dancer who cuts herself; Aaron is interested.
I am buying this for my Ellen Hopkins kids. It's not poetry, but the same type of drama they love. The dialogue and characters feel real. I have met these kids before.
August 8, 2012
Again, I found Ms. Chappell's writing to be extremely exciting to read and finished her second book in less than a couple of days. Both of the books (the other being Total Constant Order) are written for young people, probably teenagers, but are exciting none the less. Both books lend themselves to a series and I hope that she has a sequel.
November 22, 2012
very well written, very romantic and thoughtful. I loved it, after i was done i could not stop thinking about it!
April 1, 2012
I really liked this. Sweet and heartbreaking and very, very realistic.
Review forthcoming.
Review forthcoming.
Currently reading
August 4, 2012
Judging the Book by its Cover
We think it's only fair that we state the definition of a narc before we begin our usual "analyses." A narc is a general term used to describe someone who informs the proper authorities when they see others committing illegal deeds. The guy on the cover obviously doesn't look like an adult, so we're assuming he's a teenager. Ohhhhhhh, boy. Where we come from, "narcing" isn't exactly what you want to be known for. In fact "narcing," might just be the worst thing you can do, as a high school student. Something like ... this could happen:
Not the prettiest sight, is it? However, We're finding ourselves a bit intrigued. We're wondering what in the world could have possibly given him the idea that "narcing" is okay. Maybe he has a secret that he's holding on to (very tightly), and it would help to get the authorities off his case ... But you know what they say about secrets, don't you?! (*whispers*)
"Secrets, secrets, are no fun, unless you share with EVERYONE!"
See no evil, Speak no evil, Read this evil?
Ahh, the overview. Aaron is a stoner, who's been caught. That explains just about ... EVERYTHING. Jail time, or "narcing"? That's like asking us if I'd like to get something to eat or let myself starve to death? There was really only one option in the first place! While playing undercover narc, he falls in love. It's okay, Aaron! Some people were meant to be single!
I'm going to hate you forever, you say? Well one things for sure, We definitely don't hate this book. Translation: This book is OURS. It might as well just be on my bookshelf, because nothing, and we mean NOTHING, is going to stop us from reading this book.
Temptation Scale - 5/5
Don't forget to rate this novel on oursite, and leave a comment letting us know you rated it. Whichever book has the most positive ratings at the end of the month, will be featured as a giveaway, during that month. (Whoever rated that specific book, will be entered into that raffle.) Drop a comment below, we'd love to hear what you think about it too! (:
More "before-reviews" @: http://readingtemptations.blogspot.com/
We think it's only fair that we state the definition of a narc before we begin our usual "analyses." A narc is a general term used to describe someone who informs the proper authorities when they see others committing illegal deeds. The guy on the cover obviously doesn't look like an adult, so we're assuming he's a teenager. Ohhhhhhh, boy. Where we come from, "narcing" isn't exactly what you want to be known for. In fact "narcing," might just be the worst thing you can do, as a high school student. Something like ... this could happen:
Not the prettiest sight, is it? However, We're finding ourselves a bit intrigued. We're wondering what in the world could have possibly given him the idea that "narcing" is okay. Maybe he has a secret that he's holding on to (very tightly), and it would help to get the authorities off his case ... But you know what they say about secrets, don't you?! (*whispers*)
"Secrets, secrets, are no fun, unless you share with EVERYONE!"
See no evil, Speak no evil, Read this evil?
Ahh, the overview. Aaron is a stoner, who's been caught. That explains just about ... EVERYTHING. Jail time, or "narcing"? That's like asking us if I'd like to get something to eat or let myself starve to death? There was really only one option in the first place! While playing undercover narc, he falls in love. It's okay, Aaron! Some people were meant to be single!
I'm going to hate you forever, you say? Well one things for sure, We definitely don't hate this book. Translation: This book is OURS. It might as well just be on my bookshelf, because nothing, and we mean NOTHING, is going to stop us from reading this book.
Temptation Scale - 5/5
Don't forget to rate this novel on oursite, and leave a comment letting us know you rated it. Whichever book has the most positive ratings at the end of the month, will be featured as a giveaway, during that month. (Whoever rated that specific book, will be entered into that raffle.) Drop a comment below, we'd love to hear what you think about it too! (:
More "before-reviews" @: http://readingtemptations.blogspot.com/
June 10, 2012
Solid 2.5.
When Aaron gets pulled over for speeding and his little sister's caught with a bag of weed in her pocket, the officer makes him a deal: find out who the source of drug distribution is in his high school. Over the course of his duty, Aaron befriends Morgan and Skully, two girls who are themselves heavy into the school's drug culture and who have ties to the source. As soon as Aaron has the source in his sight, he's ready to spill to the police. Except, it's not as easy as it sounds. He's become friends with these people and he doesn't want them hurt.
NARC had a great premise, and the writing is fast-paced. As I was reading it, I knew exactly who this book would appeal to, since it has pretty great appeal -- readers who want to explore drug culture or drug life will eat this one up. I think this one will have good appeal to more reluctant readers, as well, particularly with the great pacing. Aaron himself is complex and throughout his story, he begins to understand that the people who choose to engage in drug use aren't simply burn outs. Many times, they're easing deeper pain. They're actual people.
The final quarter of the book, though, felt rushed and left me disappointed. At times, Aaron waffles between deciding to follow his orders or throwing those duties away in the name of friendship and honor. These moments were pretty powerful and telling about Aaron and about the issue of keeping secrets and keeping honor. The problem, though, was that the scenes at the end came rapid fire and didn't allow readers to really feel that mental torment with Aaron. Likewise, I felt the ending was a letdown. There was a great build up in the story but the final chapter flat lined.
Both Aaron and Morgan were great characters, and I found myself really caring about Haylie, too. I wish I had a little bit more about Aaron's father and the influence of his father on Aaron's choices and protective nature toward Haylie and his mother. I didn't find myself caring much about other characters, though, and I found Finch was pretty stock and uninteresting, even in light of what Morgan had to say about him. I wish we'd gotten a little bit more of Finch, perhaps through the lens of what Morgan had said about him to Aaron.
Longer review to come.
When Aaron gets pulled over for speeding and his little sister's caught with a bag of weed in her pocket, the officer makes him a deal: find out who the source of drug distribution is in his high school. Over the course of his duty, Aaron befriends Morgan and Skully, two girls who are themselves heavy into the school's drug culture and who have ties to the source. As soon as Aaron has the source in his sight, he's ready to spill to the police. Except, it's not as easy as it sounds. He's become friends with these people and he doesn't want them hurt.
NARC had a great premise, and the writing is fast-paced. As I was reading it, I knew exactly who this book would appeal to, since it has pretty great appeal -- readers who want to explore drug culture or drug life will eat this one up. I think this one will have good appeal to more reluctant readers, as well, particularly with the great pacing. Aaron himself is complex and throughout his story, he begins to understand that the people who choose to engage in drug use aren't simply burn outs. Many times, they're easing deeper pain. They're actual people.
The final quarter of the book, though, felt rushed and left me disappointed. At times, Aaron waffles between deciding to follow his orders or throwing those duties away in the name of friendship and honor. These moments were pretty powerful and telling about Aaron and about the issue of keeping secrets and keeping honor. The problem, though, was that the scenes at the end came rapid fire and didn't allow readers to really feel that mental torment with Aaron. Likewise, I felt the ending was a letdown. There was a great build up in the story but the final chapter flat lined.
Both Aaron and Morgan were great characters, and I found myself really caring about Haylie, too. I wish I had a little bit more about Aaron's father and the influence of his father on Aaron's choices and protective nature toward Haylie and his mother. I didn't find myself caring much about other characters, though, and I found Finch was pretty stock and uninteresting, even in light of what Morgan had to say about him. I wish we'd gotten a little bit more of Finch, perhaps through the lens of what Morgan had said about him to Aaron.
Longer review to come.
August 26, 2012
Aaron is torn. He can either be a narc or be thrown into jail after he and his little sister are caught with drugs; he has to protect his sister and he doesn’t want to hurt his new friends, who are taking and dealing drugs. Working as an undercover teen narc, people are onto him. He’s in the midst of speculation and danger. I enjoyed the unique premise—I’ve never read a YA novel about narcs before—and I loved the Miami setting.
January 22, 2014
It was one of the best books I've read in months. It is so suspenseful, LOVE.
October 10, 2019
I didn't expect a book about an undercover teenage narc to be great but I thought it would at least get into the salacious side of things instead of a half baked character exploration.
July 9, 2012
Many know that I jump on any book be it YA or adult when the story is based in Florida or more specifically to Miami. Crissa-Jean does a pretty great job on detailing the locations. It helps visualize the story better when the author helps you picture the locations, people and items that you read in each page. Being from Miami myself, to me its more of a visit home. The smells, noises and people come back to me in full color when I read Narc. So every time her story went somewhere, I felt I was riding along with her characters, hoping I could pop into the nearest Cuban bakery while reading. One more thing I liked was she didn't cover up or glamorize Miami, she wrote it how it is. Just like any metropolitan city, it has its goods and bads.
Narc is the story of Aaron, Aaron was caught doing something illegal and the cop offered him 2 choices. Its a pretty simple choice actually, if you ask me. Help the cops out by becoming a Narc or go to jail. I think you know which one Aaron chose. Who in their right minds would want to go to jail.
If you don't know what a Narc is, here is a definition: An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants (CI), and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information without the consent of the other parties with the intent of malicious, personal or financial gain.
So Aaron takes on his new undercover job for the cops. He needs to find out who is the big player in their high school, who supplies the little guys. Aaron has no idea how he will figure this all out. So he begins friending people he normally doesn't hang out with. Aaron in reality has always kept to himself, so this is a big project for him to make all these new friends. Aaron begins to get in with some of the girls from school and getting invites to the parties were drugs are present, but the cops say its not enough. he needs to get in deeper and get them the big guy. So Aaron continue his lies to his new friends or associates he has made. Problem when you get close to people especially girls is that you begin to fall for a certain girl. Now he is starting to get closer to the information the cops need but at what cost to his new friends and love interest. What will Aaron decided is more important.
This is a fast stand alone read to pick up this summer. The novel is raw and to the point, I just felt at times that Aaron's character needed something more. I could never put my finger on what, but towards the end of the novel he bettered himself for me. This is as real as it can get, the story is not pretty pink ponies and fluffy white clouds, you are getting what really happens on a day to day basis in the large cities around the world that include today's youth. Its an eye opener of a tale. Those readers that like dark, realistic fiction will eat this book up.
review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...
Narc is the story of Aaron, Aaron was caught doing something illegal and the cop offered him 2 choices. Its a pretty simple choice actually, if you ask me. Help the cops out by becoming a Narc or go to jail. I think you know which one Aaron chose. Who in their right minds would want to go to jail.
If you don't know what a Narc is, here is a definition: An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants (CI), and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information without the consent of the other parties with the intent of malicious, personal or financial gain.
So Aaron takes on his new undercover job for the cops. He needs to find out who is the big player in their high school, who supplies the little guys. Aaron has no idea how he will figure this all out. So he begins friending people he normally doesn't hang out with. Aaron in reality has always kept to himself, so this is a big project for him to make all these new friends. Aaron begins to get in with some of the girls from school and getting invites to the parties were drugs are present, but the cops say its not enough. he needs to get in deeper and get them the big guy. So Aaron continue his lies to his new friends or associates he has made. Problem when you get close to people especially girls is that you begin to fall for a certain girl. Now he is starting to get closer to the information the cops need but at what cost to his new friends and love interest. What will Aaron decided is more important.
This is a fast stand alone read to pick up this summer. The novel is raw and to the point, I just felt at times that Aaron's character needed something more. I could never put my finger on what, but towards the end of the novel he bettered himself for me. This is as real as it can get, the story is not pretty pink ponies and fluffy white clouds, you are getting what really happens on a day to day basis in the large cities around the world that include today's youth. Its an eye opener of a tale. Those readers that like dark, realistic fiction will eat this book up.
review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...
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August 8, 2012*I received Narc as a free review copy, in exchange for an honest review.*
First things first, is anyone looking at that cover the way I’m looking at it? I mean there’s not a lot going on with the cover, but it’s enough to make you wonder where that loner kid’s story is going to take us.
Narc is about a guy named Aaron, he’s not the most popular kid in school, and he’s not the smartest. He looks just like the guy on the cover -- alone. Until he’s caught doing twenty over the limit, with his little sister in the car. He’s pulled over by a cop. What’s the worst that could happen, right? A ticket, and your free. Unfortunately … his sister is caught with a dime bag of weed. Thinking about how this would tear apart his mom, and his barely-holding-it-together family, Aaron accepts a job offered by the officer to act as an undercover narc, and help the Narcotic Unit take down the people supplying drugs to his school, Palm Hammock. While on this undercover “mission,” Aaron discovers more about the person he is/wants to be. The group of “friends,” he begins to associate himself with, are The stoners. Only Aaron wasn’t expecting to actually like them … or most of them.
I am completely and utterly in love with Crissa-Jean Chappell. From page one, she jumped right into the problem at hand. I didn’t have to push myself through this novel, at all, I just kept going and I didn’t want to stop, either. Also did anyone notice the main character is male?! Yay, for originality! I really liked how Chappell identified Aaron as an outsider from the beginning of the novel. It gave me a reason to want to root him. To want him to kiss a girl for the first time, do crazy teenager things, have a first real girlfriend, fall in love, have friends, and overall love Aaron’s character.
I honestly have nothing bad to say about Narc. I was very disappointed by the ending, but it makes sense now, when reflecting on it. This is a definite Stop-drop-and-read. If you weren’t fully compelled to read Narc, then I’m telling you, this a quick, easy, and intriguing read that you won’t regret.
4/5 stars
More reviews @ http://characterized.blogspot.com/
First things first, is anyone looking at that cover the way I’m looking at it? I mean there’s not a lot going on with the cover, but it’s enough to make you wonder where that loner kid’s story is going to take us.
Narc is about a guy named Aaron, he’s not the most popular kid in school, and he’s not the smartest. He looks just like the guy on the cover -- alone. Until he’s caught doing twenty over the limit, with his little sister in the car. He’s pulled over by a cop. What’s the worst that could happen, right? A ticket, and your free. Unfortunately … his sister is caught with a dime bag of weed. Thinking about how this would tear apart his mom, and his barely-holding-it-together family, Aaron accepts a job offered by the officer to act as an undercover narc, and help the Narcotic Unit take down the people supplying drugs to his school, Palm Hammock. While on this undercover “mission,” Aaron discovers more about the person he is/wants to be. The group of “friends,” he begins to associate himself with, are The stoners. Only Aaron wasn’t expecting to actually like them … or most of them.
I am completely and utterly in love with Crissa-Jean Chappell. From page one, she jumped right into the problem at hand. I didn’t have to push myself through this novel, at all, I just kept going and I didn’t want to stop, either. Also did anyone notice the main character is male?! Yay, for originality! I really liked how Chappell identified Aaron as an outsider from the beginning of the novel. It gave me a reason to want to root him. To want him to kiss a girl for the first time, do crazy teenager things, have a first real girlfriend, fall in love, have friends, and overall love Aaron’s character.
I honestly have nothing bad to say about Narc. I was very disappointed by the ending, but it makes sense now, when reflecting on it. This is a definite Stop-drop-and-read. If you weren’t fully compelled to read Narc, then I’m telling you, this a quick, easy, and intriguing read that you won’t regret.
4/5 stars
More reviews @ http://characterized.blogspot.com/
November 30, 2015
Do you know about narcotics or drugs in particular? How about the consequences for getting caught with these type of illegal things? Well you will once you're done reading this book. The reason why I say this is because throughout the book seventeen-year-old Aaron Foster goes through certain obstacles for the single mistake he committed and now he has to live with this burden until his job that was given to him is finished. Enabling him to let go of the weight that he is holding on his shoulders.
Now what you end up finding out about young Aaron Foster is that he does drugs and the particular drug is marijuana more referred to as weed. Keep in mind that weed is one of the biggest drugs out there in the real world and now a days is easily obtained by young teens which brings me to the conclusion of why Aaron gets caught with this drug but not in the way you expected him to get caught with it. Instead of the police catching him with a bag of weed they catch his younger sister with it while the police had stopped them for going over the speed limit. Aaron then takes the blame because after all it is his drug and that way his younger sister doesn’t have any felonies at such a young age thing is the cops tell him if he doesn’t want any problems and doesn’t wanna go to jail he has to work as an undercover police to find out who’s passing drugs around or selling them within the high school he attends and is enrolled as a senior there.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in mystery and drama and crime based books. Now the reason why I say this is because at first it’s a bit difficult to understand the entire plot because new characters keep being introduced at first but then it settles down to where you can start putting all these connections between all the characters piece by piece to find out who does what and who is who. In my own words it was a great book to read and I recommend it to anyone who feels very interested in this book.
Now what you end up finding out about young Aaron Foster is that he does drugs and the particular drug is marijuana more referred to as weed. Keep in mind that weed is one of the biggest drugs out there in the real world and now a days is easily obtained by young teens which brings me to the conclusion of why Aaron gets caught with this drug but not in the way you expected him to get caught with it. Instead of the police catching him with a bag of weed they catch his younger sister with it while the police had stopped them for going over the speed limit. Aaron then takes the blame because after all it is his drug and that way his younger sister doesn’t have any felonies at such a young age thing is the cops tell him if he doesn’t want any problems and doesn’t wanna go to jail he has to work as an undercover police to find out who’s passing drugs around or selling them within the high school he attends and is enrolled as a senior there.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in mystery and drama and crime based books. Now the reason why I say this is because at first it’s a bit difficult to understand the entire plot because new characters keep being introduced at first but then it settles down to where you can start putting all these connections between all the characters piece by piece to find out who does what and who is who. In my own words it was a great book to read and I recommend it to anyone who feels very interested in this book.
July 22, 2012
This book was very different in the sense that it was like nothing else that I have read before.
The premise was completely new to me and I liked that about it. I liked how real it felt, the characters, the storyline and situations. It was gritty and a little raw in details. Very much what I could imagine life would be like for the characters.
I felt bad for Aaron, he was a kid stuck in a really bad situation and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and things just went down hill from there.
I think a lot of high school kids could really relate to him. He was a kid that no one noticed or paid attention to. Someone that wanted something better for his life and for his family, he didn't want to be invisible yet, when he finally wasn't invisible anymore, that is all he wished for again because, that would be better than betraying the very people he finally could call friends.
While this played out as something that could very well happen and the ending did as well, I was still slightly disappointed in the ending. I was hoping for a little more.
Not a happily ever after so much as just something...better.
The story could be a little confusing at times and the ending felt a little rushed to me. Like so much happened in such a short amount of time and then, well then it was just over and left me feeling a little empty and kind of sad.
Overall though I think this was a good read, just a different, very realistic one.
The premise was completely new to me and I liked that about it. I liked how real it felt, the characters, the storyline and situations. It was gritty and a little raw in details. Very much what I could imagine life would be like for the characters.
I felt bad for Aaron, he was a kid stuck in a really bad situation and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and things just went down hill from there.
I think a lot of high school kids could really relate to him. He was a kid that no one noticed or paid attention to. Someone that wanted something better for his life and for his family, he didn't want to be invisible yet, when he finally wasn't invisible anymore, that is all he wished for again because, that would be better than betraying the very people he finally could call friends.
While this played out as something that could very well happen and the ending did as well, I was still slightly disappointed in the ending. I was hoping for a little more.
Not a happily ever after so much as just something...better.
The story could be a little confusing at times and the ending felt a little rushed to me. Like so much happened in such a short amount of time and then, well then it was just over and left me feeling a little empty and kind of sad.
Overall though I think this was a good read, just a different, very realistic one.
September 27, 2014
I just finished reading Narc, a teen fiction novel that I highly recommend to anyone reading this who either has kids, nieces, nephews or that wants to transport themselves back to that awkward moment called high school! The gist of the story is that a kid's little sister gets busted with weed and instead of taking her to jail her loner big brother is coerced into coming out of his shell and befriending the cool kids in school because he has become a narc. The novel is witty, humorous, suspenseful, masterly written, spot on with its depiction of high school life and takes place in Miami. I could not put it down and started getting anxiety towards the end as I raced to the finish to find out what was going to happen! I highly recommend it to all of you.
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June 14, 2012NARC by Crissa-Jean Chappell is a powerful novel about a boy named Aaron who gets himself into some serious trouble. I was deeply impressed with how Chappell brought out Aaron's voice, making him a sympathetic, troubled young man who is deeply loyal to family, protective of friends, and caught in the middle of his poor choices from the past and his current desire to make changes in his life. He takes some stupid risks and gets mixed up in some pretty messy things, all involving drugs. This is a cautionary tale - well written, strong voice, and fascinating supporting characters.
I definitely recommend NARC. This book should be in every HS.
I definitely recommend NARC. This book should be in every HS.
September 25, 2014
I truly thought this book was very real and interesting. Most authors have to have a super happy ending and they never really have anything too terrible keep happening to the main character, it always ends up being alright for them. Well Crissa-Jean Chappell was very real in this book. She shows people how hard it is being a teenager by making Aaron stumble and fall and fail over an over again. Don't get me wrong, he still was doing it for his little sister, but it still had the real events that most stories lack. I would recommend this book to any teenager to show them how messed up life truly can get, and that you just gotta keep going.
October 16, 2014
I would recommend this book because it talks about how some group of people can change your life in how you think but it all depends on how the people look at you or treat you.
May 22, 2019
Narc
A tale of dilemma. Getting caught out and having just to report on school Mayes in order to protect family is a no brainier or it is.
A tale of dilemma. Getting caught out and having just to report on school Mayes in order to protect family is a no brainier or it is.
August 19, 2017
I read this on a Kindle. That’s why I know that, when I was 44% of the way through, I almost threw in the towel. It wasn’t until I was 71% through the story that I began to have interest in Chappell’s characters. And I made it through to the end. Chappell redeemed herself; the book had a satisfying ending.
In the beginning I found myself quite – very – extremely – confused by the setting of the story. I wasn’t sure if I had by accident skipped pages, forgotten what was happening, or was intentionally being befuddled as part of the author’s intentions. I also wasn’t sure if it was the setting that threw me off or if it was the progression of the plot. Initially, each scene introduced a new character, so I was then having difficulty placing characters into perspective with regards to their purpose to the storyline. Although the author introduced new characters, I didn’t feel like I was getting to know them, to understand their development and connection to the plot.
As far as motifs go, Chappell included two. The first was magic, magician-like magic. Coin tricks and levitation. The second was pigeons. Roof-top “sky rats” with babies. These two themes flowed well throughout the story and were not distracting; however, I do not feel like they were developed sufficiently enough to create thorough analogies to Aaron’s predicament. Aaron’s father, a war photographer, had recently died. Both from grief and from struggling to keep finances and family together, his distraught mother provided ineffective parenting. Aaron felt like it was up to him to protect his younger sister. (I believe the pigeon motif was intended to portray Aaron’s family dynamics.) Aaron’s other predicament involved the narc position that he agreed to assume in order to protect his younger sister, Haylie. It would take all sorts of magic and sleight-of-hand for Aaron to maintain his role of narc, especially since he began to have feelings for some of the people he would have to include in the potential bust, Morgan and Skully.
Chappell’s writing accurately portrayed the wildfire nature of online social network posts, emails, phone photos, and instant messages. She used this phenomenon well to create the teenage interactions that allowed the story to progress the way it did. Aaron used the lack of privacy the Internet provides to research his potential targets for the police, to follow what people said about him during the story; he also used it to save his personal, unsent thoughts and tried to remove his history. Teen readers will relate well to Chappell’s use of the Internet as a conduit for the advancing action of the plot.
Chappell finally created true plot tension towards the end of the story when the bust was supposed to go down. She allowed the reader to doubt the efficacy of Aaron’s plan and his ability to keep himself and his friends safe. Their quirky, unexpected rescue by some locals provided some tension release, while the reappearance of the police because of his narcotic agent-issued cell phone beacon adds back the realism to their dangerous situation.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the ending because it did seem like it could happen. Aaron knew he couldn’t safely hang around his high school any more, so he got his GED instead. Conveniently, his mom finished her schooling to be a nurse, which provided a plausible relocation for Aaron’s family. Aaron had one last chance meet-up with Morgan, and she turned out to have integrity, which made Aaron’s efforts all worth it. I’m glad I didn’t give up 44% of the way through the story, and I’m glad I got to experience Aaron’s vindication. All of this, nevertheless, did not make up for the whole book for me; I will probably not make this book part of my collection development plan.Narc
In the beginning I found myself quite – very – extremely – confused by the setting of the story. I wasn’t sure if I had by accident skipped pages, forgotten what was happening, or was intentionally being befuddled as part of the author’s intentions. I also wasn’t sure if it was the setting that threw me off or if it was the progression of the plot. Initially, each scene introduced a new character, so I was then having difficulty placing characters into perspective with regards to their purpose to the storyline. Although the author introduced new characters, I didn’t feel like I was getting to know them, to understand their development and connection to the plot.
As far as motifs go, Chappell included two. The first was magic, magician-like magic. Coin tricks and levitation. The second was pigeons. Roof-top “sky rats” with babies. These two themes flowed well throughout the story and were not distracting; however, I do not feel like they were developed sufficiently enough to create thorough analogies to Aaron’s predicament. Aaron’s father, a war photographer, had recently died. Both from grief and from struggling to keep finances and family together, his distraught mother provided ineffective parenting. Aaron felt like it was up to him to protect his younger sister. (I believe the pigeon motif was intended to portray Aaron’s family dynamics.) Aaron’s other predicament involved the narc position that he agreed to assume in order to protect his younger sister, Haylie. It would take all sorts of magic and sleight-of-hand for Aaron to maintain his role of narc, especially since he began to have feelings for some of the people he would have to include in the potential bust, Morgan and Skully.
Chappell’s writing accurately portrayed the wildfire nature of online social network posts, emails, phone photos, and instant messages. She used this phenomenon well to create the teenage interactions that allowed the story to progress the way it did. Aaron used the lack of privacy the Internet provides to research his potential targets for the police, to follow what people said about him during the story; he also used it to save his personal, unsent thoughts and tried to remove his history. Teen readers will relate well to Chappell’s use of the Internet as a conduit for the advancing action of the plot.
Chappell finally created true plot tension towards the end of the story when the bust was supposed to go down. She allowed the reader to doubt the efficacy of Aaron’s plan and his ability to keep himself and his friends safe. Their quirky, unexpected rescue by some locals provided some tension release, while the reappearance of the police because of his narcotic agent-issued cell phone beacon adds back the realism to their dangerous situation.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the ending because it did seem like it could happen. Aaron knew he couldn’t safely hang around his high school any more, so he got his GED instead. Conveniently, his mom finished her schooling to be a nurse, which provided a plausible relocation for Aaron’s family. Aaron had one last chance meet-up with Morgan, and she turned out to have integrity, which made Aaron’s efforts all worth it. I’m glad I didn’t give up 44% of the way through the story, and I’m glad I got to experience Aaron’s vindication. All of this, nevertheless, did not make up for the whole book for me; I will probably not make this book part of my collection development plan.Narc
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2012
I was so excited for Narc, since I love the cover, and the premise sounded perfect for me. It turned out to be only an okay read for me, though, and I didn't connect with the story like I was hoping I would.
I still love the whole idea of reading about a narc, and the plot is very well-done. Even if I didn't love everything about this book, I did enjoy finding out how something like this would work, how someone would go about setting up a drug bust. The question of whether or not Aaron would go through with it is what kept me reading. It might sound strange, but I liked reading about the whole scene and what these people are like, since their lives are so different from mine.
Other than that, though, Narc wasn't a book I really enjoyed reading. Crissa-Jean Chappell's writing isn't terrible, but it never sucked me in. I found myself bored and thinking about other stuff a few times, and I had to go back to see what was going on because the book hadn't captured my attention. Maybe that's my fault, not paying close attention, but I could just never really get into it.
Aaron is an okay character. I didn't have a problem with him, but I never connected with him, either. I still don't quite understand the motivation behind his becoming a narc - his little sister was busted with pot, and he lied to the cops to keep her safe, telling them it's his. The cops then offer him the narc-deal. Throughout the book, Aaron says he's doing this for his sister, to make sure his sister doesn't go to jail, but... would a fourteen-year-old have to go to jail for owning some pot? I don't know much about this stuff, but that doesn't sound realistic. Sure, there'd be consequences, but I can't imagine them being that bad, bad enough for Aaron to basically give up his whole life to prevent them. I don't think we got to know enough about the brother-sister relationship to understand why Aaron would do this to protect Haylie.
The secondary characters had a lot of potential. All of them are seriously messed up and have a lot of issues that could have been interesting to find out more about. But we never got to look beneath the surface, to see what was troubling these people. I didn't understand Aaron's attraction to Morgan - definitely insta-love - because we never really got to know Morgan. I would have loved to get to know these people better, and each of their stories had a lot of potential, but their lives weren't explored enough to make them more than cardboard representatives of certain issues.
The overall message of Narc confused me. It felt like it was saying what Aaron did was completely wrong, which I found strange. No, I didn't want him to betray his friends, but it's not like what he did is all bad - helping the cops bust a drug lord and try to control drug use is not a bad thing. The complications in the story do make this a difficult choice, but condemning everything Aaron did feels wrong, to me.
Towards the end, it does get a little better. There's more action in the lass 30 pages or so, and I really like the way the author decided to end things. But still, the ending wasn't enough to redeem the whole book, for me.
The set-up of Narc had a lot of potential, but to me, the execution fell short. I never really connected with the story, and the characters felt flat to me. I'd recommed reading Ferocity Summer instead - the set-up is similar, but Alissa Grosso does a much better job of developing her story, in my opinion.
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
I still love the whole idea of reading about a narc, and the plot is very well-done. Even if I didn't love everything about this book, I did enjoy finding out how something like this would work, how someone would go about setting up a drug bust. The question of whether or not Aaron would go through with it is what kept me reading. It might sound strange, but I liked reading about the whole scene and what these people are like, since their lives are so different from mine.
Other than that, though, Narc wasn't a book I really enjoyed reading. Crissa-Jean Chappell's writing isn't terrible, but it never sucked me in. I found myself bored and thinking about other stuff a few times, and I had to go back to see what was going on because the book hadn't captured my attention. Maybe that's my fault, not paying close attention, but I could just never really get into it.
Aaron is an okay character. I didn't have a problem with him, but I never connected with him, either. I still don't quite understand the motivation behind his becoming a narc - his little sister was busted with pot, and he lied to the cops to keep her safe, telling them it's his. The cops then offer him the narc-deal. Throughout the book, Aaron says he's doing this for his sister, to make sure his sister doesn't go to jail, but... would a fourteen-year-old have to go to jail for owning some pot? I don't know much about this stuff, but that doesn't sound realistic. Sure, there'd be consequences, but I can't imagine them being that bad, bad enough for Aaron to basically give up his whole life to prevent them. I don't think we got to know enough about the brother-sister relationship to understand why Aaron would do this to protect Haylie.
The secondary characters had a lot of potential. All of them are seriously messed up and have a lot of issues that could have been interesting to find out more about. But we never got to look beneath the surface, to see what was troubling these people. I didn't understand Aaron's attraction to Morgan - definitely insta-love - because we never really got to know Morgan. I would have loved to get to know these people better, and each of their stories had a lot of potential, but their lives weren't explored enough to make them more than cardboard representatives of certain issues.
The overall message of Narc confused me. It felt like it was saying what Aaron did was completely wrong, which I found strange. No, I didn't want him to betray his friends, but it's not like what he did is all bad - helping the cops bust a drug lord and try to control drug use is not a bad thing. The complications in the story do make this a difficult choice, but condemning everything Aaron did feels wrong, to me.
Towards the end, it does get a little better. There's more action in the lass 30 pages or so, and I really like the way the author decided to end things. But still, the ending wasn't enough to redeem the whole book, for me.
The set-up of Narc had a lot of potential, but to me, the execution fell short. I never really connected with the story, and the characters felt flat to me. I'd recommed reading Ferocity Summer instead - the set-up is similar, but Alissa Grosso does a much better job of developing her story, in my opinion.
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
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January 31, 2014How did you pick this book?: I picked this book after Mrs. Peters came to our class and gave a short summary of this book.
Significance of the title: The title relates to the main character who has become a narc undercover in order to protect his sister. Its the role that Aaron plays in this book.
Purpose: I think this author wrote this book to tell a story about doing whatever it takes to protect those you care about. In the beginning he was trying to protect his sister, and in the end he was trying to protect those who were innocent. I think it serves a purpose to open your eyes to reality, that all things have consequences and you can’t protect everyone you love.
Audience: I think this book is really for anyone. The love story isn’t too intense or detailed or romantic. The storyline itself is something that could really happen and the inside scope of the police and the drug bust they are after could pull anyone in.
What are 3 facts you learned: I never knew that someone could be a narc and I never knew what a narc was until I read this book. I didn’t know that Aaron’s dad had died a year or two before, and it was only his mom, sister, and him left together. I learned that Aaron had also been part of the system at one time, but never really sold or bought many drugs. It was interesting to learn what a narc was and what they had to do, but I can see why it was very frustrating and confusing to Aaron to carry out his role. I picked the fact about his dad dying, because it shows that he was already living a difficult life and carrying around grief while trying to be their for his family and to continue carrying his role as a narc. Finally, knowing that Aaron had sold and bought drugs before, is interesting, because he knows all the quarks and ties and made his job as a narc a bit easier to get the inside scope.
Theme: I believe that the theme of this book, is that secrets cannot always stay secrets and when the truth comes out, you may lose the ones you care about, or it might be better to tell them to keep the ones you care about. Be careful what secrets you hold and which secrets you tell.
Reading Strategies: I visualized throughout the entire book. Each scene or character that was described in the book, I created a little picture in my mind of what it may have looked like. I also connected the characters throughout the book. If their troubles or feelings were similar to a time in my life, I connected to them and felt more towards that character. Which definitely made me more sad when I had finished this book! While reading this book, I tried to predict what would happen next as small clues were given to me. If there weren’t any clues, I just paid attention to each character and what was happening to try to guess what may come next. Some parts still surprised me, but some things I was able to predict.
What did you think of the book?: I loved the story start to finish. It immediately dragged me in the first problem that Aaron had faced. As I continued to read the book, I was very interested in finding out how Aaron would deal with each coming and new situation he found himself in. I enjoyed reading about how Aaron felt about the people he interacted with and learning their story as well. It was a very realistic plot and I connected to the characters many times throughout the story and when it ended, my heart felt a lil emptier. Although the ending was my favorite part. I would recommend this book to just about anyone. It’s a good and short read!
Significance of the title: The title relates to the main character who has become a narc undercover in order to protect his sister. Its the role that Aaron plays in this book.
Purpose: I think this author wrote this book to tell a story about doing whatever it takes to protect those you care about. In the beginning he was trying to protect his sister, and in the end he was trying to protect those who were innocent. I think it serves a purpose to open your eyes to reality, that all things have consequences and you can’t protect everyone you love.
Audience: I think this book is really for anyone. The love story isn’t too intense or detailed or romantic. The storyline itself is something that could really happen and the inside scope of the police and the drug bust they are after could pull anyone in.
What are 3 facts you learned: I never knew that someone could be a narc and I never knew what a narc was until I read this book. I didn’t know that Aaron’s dad had died a year or two before, and it was only his mom, sister, and him left together. I learned that Aaron had also been part of the system at one time, but never really sold or bought many drugs. It was interesting to learn what a narc was and what they had to do, but I can see why it was very frustrating and confusing to Aaron to carry out his role. I picked the fact about his dad dying, because it shows that he was already living a difficult life and carrying around grief while trying to be their for his family and to continue carrying his role as a narc. Finally, knowing that Aaron had sold and bought drugs before, is interesting, because he knows all the quarks and ties and made his job as a narc a bit easier to get the inside scope.
Theme: I believe that the theme of this book, is that secrets cannot always stay secrets and when the truth comes out, you may lose the ones you care about, or it might be better to tell them to keep the ones you care about. Be careful what secrets you hold and which secrets you tell.
Reading Strategies: I visualized throughout the entire book. Each scene or character that was described in the book, I created a little picture in my mind of what it may have looked like. I also connected the characters throughout the book. If their troubles or feelings were similar to a time in my life, I connected to them and felt more towards that character. Which definitely made me more sad when I had finished this book! While reading this book, I tried to predict what would happen next as small clues were given to me. If there weren’t any clues, I just paid attention to each character and what was happening to try to guess what may come next. Some parts still surprised me, but some things I was able to predict.
What did you think of the book?: I loved the story start to finish. It immediately dragged me in the first problem that Aaron had faced. As I continued to read the book, I was very interested in finding out how Aaron would deal with each coming and new situation he found himself in. I enjoyed reading about how Aaron felt about the people he interacted with and learning their story as well. It was a very realistic plot and I connected to the characters many times throughout the story and when it ended, my heart felt a lil emptier. Although the ending was my favorite part. I would recommend this book to just about anyone. It’s a good and short read!
September 9, 2012
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the novel Narc by author Crissa-Jean Chappell. In all honesty, the description/synopsis had me both interested and at the same time nervous. I’m a teenager, I like to thing of myself as a very intelligent one because I am so against the use of drugs and illegal substances, so the idea of reading a story about a character who has used drugs in the past and is now forced to find a drug dealer and rat him out the cops definitely caught my eye. It sounded interesting and when the story began I found myself actually very into the story.
Narc as I just said, is the story about our main character Aaron Foster who accepts the offer from a cop to be a snitch in exchange for not going to jail. By doing so, Aaron has to attempt to become one of the popular people in his high school and smoke out the drug dealer (no pun intended). While he does this, Aaron makes friends with people who he thinks are suspects or people who can lead him to the drug dealer. The story is split up into three parts. Each part revolves around Aaron as he continues to lie to the people around him about who he is and what his motives are. Throughout all of this, Aaron also begins to fall in love with a troubled girl named Morgan who Aaron hates having to lie to.
Narc begins with the main character Aaron getting chased by a police car with his little preteen sister and is pulled over. The officer discovers that his sister was carrying a bag of weed on her and the story sets off from there. Readers will get to watch as Aaron goes from a nobody to suddenly one of the more popular people in his high school. They get to see what his home life is like after the death of his father, who was a photographer in the army, and see the emotional war going on inside of Aaron as he deals with the conflict inside of him that comes with lying to Morgan.
I enjoyed the romance between Morgan and Aaron just because I felt like Aaron was one of those pretty good boyfriend examples that you can in YA novels. He’s openly caring for her well-being and at the same time beats himself up about lying to her. And the lying plays a pretty big role because Morgan’s very insecure, whenever Aaron lies it’s pretty obvious and I personally thought that it hurt her when she knew that he was lying to her. In Narc, you get a wide array of characters from slutty popular girls to an independent character like Skully.
I thought that everything in Narc was pretty decent. It had the right amount of action, drama and of course romance. I don’t have many complaints about the novel, it’s just that I found that it was missing a lot of detailing. You mostly get to see what Aaron’s thinking as opposed to knowing what the setting around him is like. Some readers may not like the vulgar language used in the novel, but it’s nothing too risqué. I would recommend Narc to fans of addiction stories, YA romance and readers who want a quick and dramatic read.
Narc as I just said, is the story about our main character Aaron Foster who accepts the offer from a cop to be a snitch in exchange for not going to jail. By doing so, Aaron has to attempt to become one of the popular people in his high school and smoke out the drug dealer (no pun intended). While he does this, Aaron makes friends with people who he thinks are suspects or people who can lead him to the drug dealer. The story is split up into three parts. Each part revolves around Aaron as he continues to lie to the people around him about who he is and what his motives are. Throughout all of this, Aaron also begins to fall in love with a troubled girl named Morgan who Aaron hates having to lie to.
Narc begins with the main character Aaron getting chased by a police car with his little preteen sister and is pulled over. The officer discovers that his sister was carrying a bag of weed on her and the story sets off from there. Readers will get to watch as Aaron goes from a nobody to suddenly one of the more popular people in his high school. They get to see what his home life is like after the death of his father, who was a photographer in the army, and see the emotional war going on inside of Aaron as he deals with the conflict inside of him that comes with lying to Morgan.
I enjoyed the romance between Morgan and Aaron just because I felt like Aaron was one of those pretty good boyfriend examples that you can in YA novels. He’s openly caring for her well-being and at the same time beats himself up about lying to her. And the lying plays a pretty big role because Morgan’s very insecure, whenever Aaron lies it’s pretty obvious and I personally thought that it hurt her when she knew that he was lying to her. In Narc, you get a wide array of characters from slutty popular girls to an independent character like Skully.
I thought that everything in Narc was pretty decent. It had the right amount of action, drama and of course romance. I don’t have many complaints about the novel, it’s just that I found that it was missing a lot of detailing. You mostly get to see what Aaron’s thinking as opposed to knowing what the setting around him is like. Some readers may not like the vulgar language used in the novel, but it’s nothing too risqué. I would recommend Narc to fans of addiction stories, YA romance and readers who want a quick and dramatic read.
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