Jacked

by Carrie Mac

As far as Zane knows, today is just another boring day at his boring gas-station job. Until he gets carjacked by a masked gunman. Zane has no idea where they're going or what will happen when they get there. All he knows is that the lunatic in the passenger seat has a gun aimed at him. Zane tries to reason with the guy, and when that fails, he tries a couple of daring stunts to get free, but they backfire. They've been on the road for a long time before Zane's fear starts to ease just a little, enough for his curiosity to take over. His captor has had several opportunities to hurt him or punish him for trying to get away, but he hasn't. Zane starts to wonder who this guy is. And what he really wants.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

125 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Four-eyed bookworm, tattooed queer, storyteller nomad mama to two unschooled earthlings, based in East Van, overlooking the shipyard cranes and always ready for the next most amazing giant tiny little big wonderful something to capture my attention.

Or:

When Carrie Mac was born, her right eye gawked off in one direction while her left eye looked the other way. Well meaning adults thought she was a changeling and so they wrapped her up and put her on the porch for the fairies to take back, please and thank you. It was snowing. It was dark. No fairies came. The same well meaning adults decided she'd catch her death out there. So they brought her in and kept her after all.

She's read millions of books, and has sat happily at the feat of a legion of storytellers. She is equally fascinated by disaster and grace. car wrecks, hurricanes, plagues, and genocides on the one hand, small and stunning everyday miracles on the other. She sometimes wishes she were a pirate. She'd often wished she'd run away and joined the circus when she had the chance. She spends a great deal of time in the company of her imagination, and when she isn't, she's wide eyed and awed by this planet and the people running amok all over it.

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

JACKED is a fast-paced, easy read by Carrie Mac.

Zane is just starting another boring shift at the gas station. He figures he'll be selling cigarettes and snack items for the next few hours without much in the way of excitement. Then he gets the bright idea to lock up the store for just a few minutes so he can head over to a neighboring restaurant for a quick burrito.

As Zane hops into his car, already thinking about the burrito and the cute waitress about to serve him, he is shocked when a masked man slides into the passenger seat beside him. Before he knows it, he has a gun pressed to his temple and he's being told to drive.

He heads out onto the street and is soon instructed to pull onto an on-ramp and then the freeway. Thoughts whirl through his mind as the gunman gives directions. Should he try to speed and get stopped by the cops? Should he make a grab for the gun?

Zane tries to get the guy talking. Although he doesn't reveal much, Zane is beginning to think maybe he knows this guy. He is definitely nervous and maybe high on something, but he takes Zane by surprise when he demands they head off the freeway to a hospital.

JACKED will have instant appeal for reluctant readers. It gets right into the action and keeps things pumped up right to the end. Written in a high interest/low level style makes it a great motivator for further reading.

[Andrew Welton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the book was overall ok. It was a action mysterious book but the mysterious part faded away to soon for me. It was a quick read which I liked. Also when the action parts were happening, they were action like for a small bit but then they filled down then picked back up it feel like for me. But overall what I liked about the book was that all things seemed to turn out the way they should.

[William_oulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacked by Carrie Mac is a realistic fiction novel about a gas station worker, Zane, who was carjacked by a masked gunman during his early morning shift. Zane decided to take a break during his shift to get a burrito from the deli down the street. He got into his car and pulled out of the parking lot. While he was waiting for a break in the traffic, Zane heard the passenger door open. That’s when he saw the masked gunman. With the gun pointed at Zane’s head, he was ordered to drive. For that whole morning, Zane drives this man he does not know, to an unknown location, while being held at gunpoint. As the story continued, I discovered more about the gunman including his destination and why he had the idea to carjack Zane. The whole story only covers a 5-hour period but contains many mysteries that constantly unfold.
Overall the book was very enjoyable. I liked that there was only 2 main characters, which made character development more understanding. I felt more connected with the characters this way and understood their backgrounds more and more as I read the book. I also enjoyed how short of a time period the book covers. This gave the book plenty of room for the author to describe the background details about the plot and the characters. One thing I didn’t enjoy about the book is the author’s lack of sensory detail. Although the author spends lots of time describing the story and the characters background, she doesn’t create any imagery making the book boring at some points. I would have enjoyed the book to have better sensory details by using better choice and imagery. I suggest this book to people who enjoys short length books involving an action-packed story with mystery.

[Griffin Sambrook · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn’t very long and wasn’t very good either. In the beginning I really didn’t get the book. I guess as the book went on it got a little better. I’m not sure sure if it’s only me but I couldn’t really figure it the purpose of this book. Overall I would rate this book 2 stars because I did not find it interesting.

[Chris Santana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book,it was recommended to me by a friend because I like quick reads but not only is it a quick read it kept me engaged the whole time. It's an action packed book that is full of surprises and keeps you guessing it's basically about a guy, (Zane) who works at a gas station but leaves to go get food but then suddenly a masked robber jumps in his car with a gun and tells him to drive. This book is full of twists so I would recommend it to anyone that wants to read a quick book but also be wondering whats going to happen next.

[Josh Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was interesting when he gets car jacked and has to drive the robber around town. It was surprising because the robber turned out to be just a dorky kid that went to the same school and he just didn't act like himself. Also he pretended to be a robber with a gun and high jacked a car just to be drove to the hospital to see his girlfriend that her parents didn't want them to see each other. Bud sure didn't let her parents stop him because he went in and did everything he could just to see her.

[Mark F · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Jacked by Carrie Mac, was a very enjoyable, action packed book that kept me hooked. Jacked was about a man who works at a gas station, Zane, and he decides to leave his shift one day and go get food, but he gets the unexpected. At his surprise, a masked robber jumps in his car with a gun and just tell him to drive. This book is full of twists and turns and keeps you wondering what will happen next, which in my mind means it is a good enjoyable book. Overall i really enjoyed Jacked and would highly recommend it for a quick read to anyone.

[Siena Fam]

I thought this book was an okay read, it would have taken me less time if I had liked the book. When I don't like books it takes me 10 times longer to read it than it should. I didn't like this book because it didn't interest me very much even though it was supposed to be a thrilling book, it never really got me into it so I did not end up enjoying this book.

[Weston Abusamra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I thought the book was well written. I enjoyed how the book jumped from the seemingly dull life of a convenience store clerk working behind the counter to an unexpected car jacking. The book was overall exciting with an interesting and unexpected ending. This book was an easy enjoyable read. I recommend this book to teens.

[Sarah]

This book was an overall good, fast pace read. It was a thrilling/ mysterious book. However, the mystery soon fades in the middle of the book. This book is good to keep your attention and will have you reading it all day long. This book shows what people will truly do for love and how weird friendships arise.

[Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book by Carrie Mac because it was a thrilling book. It really sucked me in, even though it was a quick read it was still very good. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I just kept wanting to read more and more. I recommend this book to people that like thrilling books and adrenaline pumping books and plus it's a quick read so it goes by fast.

[Reid Johnson]

This book was good, not great, not bad. It is about a kid that got kidnapped. This book is mysterious and filled with action. At parts of the book it totally drew my attention, but other parts I was bored. I recommend this book, but your not missing anything great if you don't read it.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out really boring, but by the end I was kind of interested in it. I thought it was silly why the person carjacked Zane, even though it was understandable in a way. The ending was okay, but a large part of the story was just meh. Just an okay read in my opinion.

[Jacob Sachs · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would not recommend this book. Its literature sounded as if it were written by one of my peers and the setting changed only about three times. For a short book, the plot did not take off much and took too long on parts that could've been reduced much shorter.

[Ysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good! I was a little scared at first, then I was laughing, and then I was crying a little bit. This was a great single read I'm very very happy that I checked it out at the library. I'm definitely going to be reading more Carrie Mac!

[Ziva Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book good for ages 12-18 it's funny but heartfelt towards the end and I loved it! They use the S, B and A word (other rude words) along with some talk of sex but nothing is really detailed and there was no sex in the book. I read it with my young adult book club and I really enjoyed it. Every chapter is really short which for me I like because it makes me feel like I can read more fast even tho I'm reading at the same speed.

[Abby Mcnish · Rating 5 out of 5]

talk about taking turns of how you would not expect. talk about just wanting a burrito and getting carjacked. at the time he didn't know who it was but then found out it was he thought a harmless guy he knew from school. all over one girl that got into a car accident thankfully she is okay but the boys had to figure out how to get into the ICU to see here they met Mia and she helped them get through the doors! Mia's mom was sick and she was waiting on her brothers to get to the hospital.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was okay

[Colin J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt it was rather obvious what was going to happen; however, I think it really captures how young adults (or anyone really) can make drastic decisions in a pinch.

[Victoria Waddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zane Is bored with his shift at the gas station convenience store. But when he decides to go out or a burrito a block away, he’s surprised by a gunman in a black ski mask. He’s being carjacked. Having gotten way too many speeding tickets, he’s now praying that a cop will stop him in one of the many speed traps he knows about. But what if that plan doesn’t work? And what is it about this weird carjacker whose voice seems familiar?

Oddly, the drama in Jacked stems not just from the carjacking, but from the weird desperation of the the carjacker to get to the hospital. Once Zane figures out what is happening to him, he sees new dangers. And strangely enough, some fun and adventure as well as he and the carjacker take on one new identity after another to make it through the afternoon.

High school housekeeping: The Orca Soundings series, of which Jacked is a part, is for teens working on their reading skills. It has a Lexile level of 580--about 4th to 5th grade. It's a good choice for struggling readers.

NOTE: This review is also posted on my blog School Library Lady.

[Zhen · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Jacked" by Carrie Mac is a surprising novel about a teenager,Zane, who works at a gas station. Suddenly, one day he was carjacked by a unknown man covered with a mask. The anonymous person pointed a gun at Zane's temple and commanded him to drive. The funny thing was the man just told Zane to drive he didn't tell Zane to drive him to a certain place. So Zane kept driving and driving. Zane have tried to pass the speed limit or pass a red light but on that day there was any police around and no one saw him with a gun pointed to his temple by a masked man. Usually, there would be police chasing after Zane when he drived over the speed limit but coincidentally on that day there wasn't a single police around to chase after him. After all of this, Zane became friends with Bob, the masked man, or whatever his name is since he has so many different names. To find out how Zane and "Bob" became friends after he pointed as gun at Zane, read this book. The resolution will surprise you.:)

[Dafina]

Well this book was O.K., i thought it would better, becuase when i read the blurb it looked really good, but it wasn't that bad. This book was about this guy named Zane, and he has a really boring life and works at this store. But then this other guy in a mask car jacks him, and threatens to kill Zane if he doesn't listen to him. Zane was really scared at first but then he thought that it was really fun and exiting, and wanted to keep on going to see what was going to happen to him next. But when he does figure out who is the guy with the mask, he helps Dougie also "Bud" try to get to the hospital in time. So "Bud" can see his girlfriend because she was in a car accident and she mat die. I feel like this book went in a really fast pace, it wasn't that descriptive, also it wasn;t that long it was kind of short. But i recommend it to people that like to read about criminals, i guess.

[Dyllen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered why someone shows you all the people they could have chosen? Well this book is a great example of just that. Zane was just in his normal daily routine working at the boring gas station. As he just wanted to leave for five minutes it soon turns into not just a quick trip but a life-threatening drive when he finds a masked gunmen in his car has no idea why he's there or what he wants. So Zane just does exactly what the man wants him to do. But when the gunmen has to stop to go to the bathroom Zane realized he might not be as dangerous as he seems to be.

In my opinion Carrie Mac did a great job with keeping you on the edge of your seat while reading this book. I really enjoyed reading the book Jacked and absolutely loved all the thrill that was hidden within the pages!

[Lucille · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is really short and kind of unsubstantial. A boy is kidnapped and taken on a crazy ride around the city by a masked foe. When the reason for the whole extravaganza are revealed, it seems like a really stupid way to go about doing things. It kind of seemed like a silly short story that got expanded a little and was published for people that can't handle regular length books. I was surprised by the page count; I never even thought to check. I read the description, thought that it looked kind of interesting and ordered it at the library. When I picked it up it was like.... huh.... that's it? I think that I finished in less than two hours.....

[Xiao Wen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not like this book much because the world that is describing in the book seems too far away from me, so it makes me think the book is unrealistic at all, but this book actually included the historical information as background. In this book, I like Nick the most because he seems neutral to everything. He does not mind if Jordan wants to know him, and he does not care if the woman he meets is his cousin-in-law’s mistress. For this part, I do not mean that Nick should not care about anything, but I admire his ability or the angle that the author shows about him to be a neutral person between people.

[Matt Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book Jacked was about a store clerk, named Zane that was high jacked by a masked man with a gun while leaving the parking lot after of his gas station job. The masked man got into the car and made him drive. Zane had no idea where he was going or what this masked man was going to do to him.i gave this book a 3 because it was hind of slow but it kept you thinking what was going to happen next.


I would recommend this book for mostly boys because it has action and it is pretty funny but i got kind of board with pretty quick. the main character Zane and the robber seem pretty weird and sound like the both have problems.

[Dylan Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was great I loved it. At the beginning of this book it kept me on my heels how Zane the main actor was going to get jacked because he was only working at a gas station doing nothing. And the facts that Zane left work for a second to go get food and someone jacked him and he was suppose to be working. Then the hijacker breaks and starts crying and takes off his mask and its one of the nerds at Zane's school who's girlfriend got in a car crash and he cant go see her because her parents don't like him. So Zane try's to talk some sense into him and tells him there's a different way to see her. So then the rest of the book they find a way in to see her.

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book Jacked, by Carrie Mac, Zane works at a lame gas station. He thinks every day gets more boring, and he's right. Until one day when he gets in his car he finds a masked guy in the passenger seat, pointing a gun at him. Zane has no idea what this guy wants, but he goes along with it. As his trip goes along, he really starts to wander what this guy wants to do with him, and where he wants to go and why.*

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This starts out promisingly, with a strange co-worker, a gun, and a carjacking. But once the initial problem passes and the deeper conflict emerges, the story flounders. Rather than being about our protagonist's survival, it becomes about the carjacker's forlorn, hard-to-swallow motivation. So while this is easy to read, it isn't all that rewarding to read.