Slide

Rennie #0.5

by Norah McClintock

When Rennie's dad, the Major, goes overseas on assignment, he enlists his mother-in-law to babysit Rennie. Babysit! A guy who's about to turn fifteen! But Grandma is no surrogate drill sergeant. She has fun on her mind. That means ditching school and heading to avalanche country for a surprise ski trip. Nothing can ruin Rennie's vacation, not the lodge owner, who turns out to be Grandma's geriatric long-ago boyfriend, not the annoying backcountry guide or the crooked park ranger or the pushy businessman from Mumbai, not even the explosions. And definitely not the most beautiful girl in the world, whom he meets while stumbling onto a murder plot.
In this hair-raising prequel to Close to the Heel and From the Dead, the loyal, smart and observant Rennie heads to avalanche country.

Genres: Middle Grade, Teen, Fiction, Canada, Young Adult

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 20, 2016

About the author

Norah McClintock’s fascinating mysteries are hard to put down. Her Chloe & Levesque series, Mike & Riel series, and Robyn Hunter series, all published by Scholastic Canada, have been popular with readers in many countries. Norah has also written several crime novels for reluctant readers in the Orca Soundings series from Orca Book Publishers,

Norah is a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. Read Mistaken Identity, The Body in the Basement, Sins of the Father, Scared to Death, and Break and Enter to find out why! Norah's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she has won numerous awards.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award - Juvenile
o 1996 – Mistaken Identity – Winner
o 1998 – The Body in the Basement – Winner
o 1999 – Sins of the Father – Winner
o 2002 – Scared to Death – Winner
o 2003 – Break and Enter – Winner

Red Maple Award
o 2004 – Hit and Run – Winner

Reviews

[Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is slightly different than the other books in The Seven Prequel Series. Instead of grandfather David McLean taking his grandson Rennie on a trip, it is his maternal grandmother. Rennie’s mother died tragically 19 months previously, and Rennie still blames himself. His grandmother takes him on a trip to a mountain range in the USA for a week of skiing. After his grandmother breaks her ankle, Rennie spends much of his time with new friend Annie (who Rennie has a crush on). They have a few adventures, which ends up with Rennie saving Annie’s life from an avalanche.

A fun quick read. Yay!!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rennie is a 14 year old boy who lost his mother a year ago and doesn't get along with his dad, a Major in the military. When the Major is deployed overseas Rennies grandmother comes to take care of him and whisks him off on a ski vacation.

This book promised so much and for me delivered too little too late. Everything happens in the last few pages and then it just abruptly ends. A short book at only 182 pages but with a big font so really even shorter, yet it took me days longer than it would have taken me to read a 500 page book.

I realize that this is a young readers book but come on even young readers want something with a little more meat to it.

I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewer for an honest review.

[Karen Upper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slide by esteemed author Norah McClintock, is the part of the Seven Prequels. tTough I had read the previous two books about an older Rennie in the original "Seven" and "Seven Series", revisiting a younger Rennie is a uniquely told story!
The major difference in this narrative is that Rennie spends his time with his very active and rule-bending grandmother at a Ski resort. At first, Rennie is a bit deflated thinking that this trip would be quiet...but before long he experiences all the emotions of a first crush....and then combine this with plenty of action, adventure, and wrapped in mystery and humour, a reader will be kept at the edge of their seat until the very last page!

{ARC by Orca Book Publishers in return for an honest review}


Highly Recommended!
FIVE STARS!

[Niki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rennie goes on a skiing adventure with his grandmother, which has more adventure rolled into it than he expected. The writing is brief and the storyline moves along quickly without significant details. The novel is fine, but just that -- fine.

Slide is the prequel to McClintock's contribution to the Seven series, which I have not read. Short-listed for the 2018 MYRCA.
2.5/5 stars

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough, but not a really outstanding novel. Some pretty heavy subject matter is touched on , but with kid gloves. Please don't get me started on the shoe-horned in mystery.

[Dan Leblanc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rennie's dad, the Major is sent overseas and leaves Rennie's grandma to watch over him. Shortly after the Major's depature , the grandma plans a ski trip to the Swiss Alps for the two of them. While there grandma breaks her ankle skiing, leaving Rennie on his own, romance and adventure is in the arisen with a mix of the unknown thrown into thrown into the plot.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slide is the prequel to Norah McClintock's contributions to 7 the Series. Rennie is left with Gramma when his father must leave on business, only she takes him away on a ski vacation in the Sierra Nobles. Once there, Gramma has an unfortunate accident and Rennie is left up to his own devices. He starts to notice many things, most of all Annie, a beautiful and smart girl whose boyfriend is less than desirable. The novel quickly turns into a mystery with many strange characters and odd events going on. The thrilling climax will leave readers wanting for more. The book's strength is the voice of the characters, all very real and their reactions which also are true to themselves. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy mysteries, adventures and a page-turning thriller.

[Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age appropriate.