The End of the Line

by Angela Cerrito

Thirteen-year-old Robbie is locked in a room with nothing but a desk, a chair, a piece of paper, and a pencil. He's starving, but all they'll give him is water. He is sure he's in a nuthouse or a prison.

Actually, he's at Great Oaks School, aka the End of the Line. Kept in solitary confinement, Robbie must earn points for food, a bed, even bathroom privileges. He must learn to listen carefully, to follow the rules, and to accept and admit the truth: he is a murderer.

Robbie's first-person account of his struggles at the school--at times horrifying, at times hilarious--alternates with flashbacks to the events that led to his incarceration. Ultimately he must confront the question: which is worse--that he wanted to kill his friend Ryan or that he killed him by accident?

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Mystery, Death, Teen

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2011

About the author

While writing The Safest Lie, I conducted research in Warsaw, Poland. In addition to reviewing testimonies of Jewish children recorded at the end of the war, I was honored to interviewe Irena Sendler who was a member of the Polish resistance group Zegota and in charge of the child rescue operations from the Warsaw ghetto.

Currently a resident of Georgia, I was born in Michigan and earned two degrees at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. I love being part of the kidlit community, especially SCBWI (where I volunteer as the Assistant International Advisor) and Verla Kay's blue board.

The best thing about writing has been meeting readers. Please stop by my website www.angelacerrito.com

Reviews

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject matter of this book reminded me of Robert Cormier's novels - very unsettling. Robbie is in a school/prison/asylum (aka "The End of the Line") for troubled youth; by trial and error he finds out what he needs to accomplish to go home. We are told the story of how he came to this place in alternating chapters - one set in the prison, one from the past, etc. I'm not going to go into the subject matter, because it's easy to give away too much, but everything fit together perfectly to show the reader how a young boy could come unhinged. Robbie's struggle to come to terms with what he did - did he murder his friend, or was it an accident? - is the key to getting home again.

One point that didn't really get resolved was what happened in the period of time from the incident to his stint in solitary confinement. Other schools are mentioned, as well as disciplinary actions, but the reader is never really filled in about what happened, and why. There are enough clues to jump to your own conclusions, but I would have preferred a little more story there.

[Breanna A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book really starts off when Robbie’s Uncle leaves for the war, since Robbie was really close to each other. They ran together, built things together, they did almost everything together. But it doesn’t end there, because when Grant left for war Robbie needed someone else to keep him that much company. That’s when Robbie met Ryan. Ryan was a boy who had a life of his own. He grew up basically raising himself since his mom was sick in the hospital and his dad and little sister named star died, all he had left was Robbie and his grandparents which were too old to even get out of the house. But Robbie never really understood how Ryan felt or how he could even live that way.

Robbie’s uncle Grant, always wanted to go to war to support his country. So he did. He left his home town River Falls to go to the war base in Tikrit which is in Iraq. So he served over there for a while, occasionally sending letters back and forth to one another. A few day months that he’s been out there would be his last, because Robbie’s family heard on the news that there were two deaths and one injury in Tikrit. Robbie’s family was really hoping that it wasn’t Grant, but I guess there hop was strong enough because he was the one injured not killed. Even though it was sad for the other families that could have their husband or dad or some type of family member to come back home with them luckily Grant was able to. But all the injuries that he suffered were pretty serious, he had to get his left arm and left leg amputated. And since Robbie was a big runner Robbie said to Grant “how will you be able to run with me like that”. Uncle Grant said “well bud, I’ve been in training walking with this fake leg for a while so I’m just getting used to it, but someday I’ll be back out there with you, I promise”. But for Robbie to get things off his mind wasn’t’ easy, so to take that stress away and to make others proud he ran marathons, because what’s a better way to run for someone that served for our country. Because just like Grant said “if you can run one step, you can run a million miles”.

This is where Robbie’s life changes forever. It’s when Ryan and Robbie really got to know each other. Just to having sleepover and talking to each other at school. Robbie never knew how Ryan grew up until he told Robbie. Ryan’s dad and little sister named star died and his mom is sick in the hospital. So his grandparents are watching him till she gets better, well if she ever does get better. But for that to happen to Ryan, he never really got through it because I kind of got in trouble a lot and Robbie was never like that and Ryan was trying to bring him into that kind of life. Robbie has always got mad Ryan was doing that to him and Ryan was getting sick of it so they got into “the fight” and this is where Robbie’s life has changed forever. Ryan died that day they got into that fight, they were in a construction site they shouldn’t have been in and Ryan fell into this huge hole that was dug, all that took was hitting your head just right and you can be gone forever.

Robbie didn’t realize how much Ryan really meant to him after he was gone, he didn’t think the fight would go that far. But Robbie was a person, hungry, a boy, angry, thirsty, skinny and a runner, and a murder living those awful months in Great Oaks School but everyone else called it a prison. When he was in prison they made it rough on him to he would learn his lesson and so he could get out sooner to see his family. So he took the time he had in there so he could get his life back in track with his family. During the last few weeks of “prison” he got the privilege to start sending letter to his family. The best thing he found out was that his mom was pregnant, but he thought it over way too much. Robbie said in the note “don’t let me think you’re trying to replace me when I’m gone because I don’t want to be forgotten”.

The day Robbie got home to see all the family he has missed and loved so much, they had great news for him. You get to pick the baby’s middle name, Robbie new right away, he looked up at the night sky and was remembering Ryan in his heart “what about start”.

Over all I think this book was really good I would give it a 4 start. I think this book was realistic fiction because these events in this book could have really happened. I think this book that I’ve read would be about the second to third best, so that pretty good. And with it being realistic I think others could relate to it.

[Sarai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder if such a place as this actually exists?

The story alternates between the past and the present. The main character, Robbie, is a pretty sheltered kid. Various events take place - his uncle going off to war, a new teacher who seems to hate him, and this new kid who is a friend yet not a friend.

Ryan's character was very interesting and I would have liked to know more about him. What was the obsession with construction sites? What happened to his sister? Would Ryan still have latched on to Robbie if the teacher had assigned someone else to assist Ryan on that first day? Could the boys have grown up together as friends if Ryan had not been killed?

I like this book because it made me wonder about all those things and more. The characters were less character-y than other books; they had more depth, less stereotypical behavior. All the characters had good points and bad points, with the exception of Uncle Grant, perhaps. Ryan and Robbie weren't likable or unlikable, they just were. Good book.


Product Description:

Robbie is locked in a room with nothing but a desk, a chair, a stack of paper, and a pencil. No belt, no shoes, no socks. He's starving, but all they give him is water. Robbie has reached the End of the Line, aka Great Oaks School; and at Great Oak's there's no time off for good behavior. All good behavior will get him are points. Enough points and he gets something to eat, a bed, bathroom privileges. Thirteen-year-old Robbie's first-person account of his struggles at school - at times horrifying, at times hilarious - alternates with flashbacks to the events that led to his incarceration. If Robbie is to survive the End of the Line, he must confront the truth: he is a murderer.

(Sarai note - I didn't see anything horrifying at school, by the way.)

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story opens with us knowing two things: Ryan is dead. Robbie murdered him. Robbie is a 13-year-old locked in a room with only a desk, a chair, some paper and a pencil at Great Oaks School. Robbie calls it a prison. As Robbie tells his story, every other chapter is a flashback that fills in the missing pieces about who Ryan was. In sixth grade, Ryan was the strange new kid who followed Robbie home on the first day of school and invited himself to family dinner. That night he ate three plates of food. Over time, Robbie becomes Ryan’s reluctant friend and their friendship develops into the real thing. However, there’s a dark side to Ryan, perhaps due to his troubled childhood—dead dad, mother in the hospital for an unknown time period, unknown location of his little sister, lives with his spooky, fragile grandparents in a dilapidated old house with little food. As their friendship deepens, so does Ryan’s risk-taking adventures involving a neighborhood construction site. Another prominent character is Robbie’s Uncle Grant who leaves at the start of the book for a tour in Iraq, yet remains a strong presence in Robbie’s life. While at Great Oaks, Robbie has to learn the rules of survival. Before Ryan’s death, Robbie was an avid long-distance runner, but if he wants to ever leave his current prison, he has to stop the most important running of his life—running from his past and the truth. Teen boys will enjoy this fast-paced tale about a friendship gone wrong. The short chapters increase the tension and add excitement. This is a great quick pick for reluctant readers.

[Liz Rettig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing, intense, and at times unsettling story of a boy’s struggle to come to terms with the role he played in another boy’s death. At the start of the novel Robbie is in an institution for troubled youths where he is helped to confront the truth about the extent of his responsibility for the tragedy which we learn about gradually in flashback. The regime seems harsh, claustrophobic, and almost pitiless at times which I found disturbing – for example keeping children in solitary confinement where they even have to ask permission to go to the bathroom. Yet this organisation is the End of The Line – a last resort for young people where all else has failed. It gets results and is Robbie’s only chance of resolving issues from his past and being capable of resuming a normal life in society. The End of the Line is a cleverly constructed, thought provoking, and absorbing novel. A stunning debut – I’m looking forward to reading many more books from this author in the future.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robbie is alone, starving, and in need of shoes. He’s in a cell and Mr. Lester, the person who oversees him, asks him to write honest, thoughtful lists about who he is, what he wants, and what he’s done. The amount of food and level of comfort Robbie receives is dependent on the quality of these lists.

All this is happening because Robbie killed his friend, Ryan, and needs to be rehabilitated. Mr. Lester is far from the bad guy, because he wants to get to the bottom of Robbie’s murderous deed and hopefully prepare him for a normal life outside of Great Oaks School/Prison. Robbie can get there, but he has to look deep inside himself and admit to certain things.

Robbie is a sympathetic character; I cared for him and grew to understand him. It was interesting reading about his past and how he came to be in the juvenile center. This is a thought-provoking novel that helped me understand children in Robbie’s position.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I expected. I thought it was a future/dystopia sort of thing, but it was actually realistic fiction. Kind of depressing when you think about it. Still, the book was interesting.

[JOHN · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book, “The End of The Line” is about a kid named Robbie who is in a very strict juvenile detention facility. They remove his bed every day, and he has to earn his food by doing what the guards tell him; make lists, attend group sessions, etc. Robbie has ended up at this facility after being thrown out of a string of others for violent behavior and for killing a classmate. Going between his current situation and his introduction to Ryan, a troubled boy from a dysfunctional home whom he befriends even though he dislikes him. Does Robbie understand the impact of what he has done? Can he be rehabilitated? This isn't the kind of thing I usually read, but I was surprised as to how it went. There's a little mystery aspect. It's interesting watching the flashback storyline progress to meet up with the shorter, present time one. The book was fairly well written and engaging to the reader. No real faults, but nothing that makes it stick out, either. It's a quick read and can be very enjoyable (maybe even relatable) to some kids that have struggled in the past.

[Jen Bigheart · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

The book opens with Robbie sitting in a detention center/school for bad kids holding cell trying to compose a list of of who he is. Although the list, comprised of variations of his name, didn't go over well with Mr. Lester the "teacher", Robbie got it right the second time when he included, "I am a killer murderer." We are then taken back to the previous year when Robbie was starting the first day of sixth grade. This is the day he meets Ryan, a boy with more issues than a kid can handle. Ryan gives a terrible first impression by hiding under his desk, getting reprimanded by the principal, and following Robbie home. Robbie's mother invites him in and eventually to dinner. This is the first dinner in a long line of hot meals for Ryan. Good thing because we soon learn that Ryan's home life is less than ideal. Living with his elderly grandparents, Ryan is poor. Actually, destitute and impoverished is more like it. Ryan doesn't speak of his parents, but we know his situation isn't fortunate in any way. To the dismay of Robbie, his parents take Ryan under their wing, feeding him most nights of the week and letting him sleep over often. Soon, the boys begin to develop a friendship although quite strained. Robbie, and maybe Ryan, would argue that they were not friends at all. Robbie thinks Ryan is weird and impulsive, and Ryan thinks Robbie is spoiled and ungrateful. In a way, they are both dead on. (pun intended) The truth of that fateful day slowly but surely comes out as we flip from the boys sixth grade year to Robbie's current residence in Great Oaks School Prison.

*spoilerish*
I really enjoyed Robbie's lists throughout the story. The lists he composed were a fast way to get to know Robbie and what he really thought of himself and his situation. Yes, he wrote about superficial items he wanted, shoes and music, but he also shared his road to redemption in a list. His time in Great Oaks is no picnic. He is isolated for much of his visit, and he reflects a lot about his fateful sixth grade year.

Although I enjoyed his 'list therapy', when Robbie has to write one of places he's been, he writes about other schools that he was kicked out of. I was confused when the story didn't address these events in detail, but it all finally clicked when Robbie had to go through an exercise involving him being teased and taunted about being a murderer, a freak, and a jail-psycho boy. It's obvious now that Robbie was kicked out of the previous schools because he simply couldn't deal with others confronting him about the accident. I needed a little clarification, but it finally sunk in. Also, I would have liked to see more of Ryan's unfortunate situation. We learn only a little of his family. There is a touching scene at the end between Robbie and Ryan's grandfather. I wish that scene was drawn out a little longer and we would have learned more about Ryan's turmoil. I think getting to know Ryan a little better would help us connect to Robbie's story even more. In fact, I think a compilation novel from Ryan's perspective would be something I would read.

The mystery of the accident that led Robbie to the school for bad boys is what keeps the pages turning. The reader isn't even absolutely sure who the deceased is until the last 30 pages or so. Of course, we assumed all along who it would be considering the roller coaster friendship. Cerrito conveys a great moral lesson; life is full of choices. Young people need to understand that there are consequences to everything, even accidents. This story carries an important message and would be an excellent read for any young person.

[Jessica S · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ryan was dead. And I was a murderer.”

- We meet Robbie, once your average middle-school student, sitting alone at Great Oaks School, or what Robbie refers to as a prison. Right from the start of the book we know Robbie murdered Ryan, but we don’t know anything about how or why it happened.

- The story is told from Robbie’s point of view and it flip-flops from present time, Robbie at Great Oaks School, to his past, referred to as River Falls, where he lived.

- The chapters for Great Oaks School focus on Robbie being in a juvenile detention center and trying to come to terms with and accepting what he has done. The chapters for River Falls show how Ryan and Robbie’s friendship started and why it went sour.

- Ryan is a new kid at school and is just sort of socially awkward, including hiding under his desk. Even though Robbie tries to help Ryan out, getting him to play at recess, Robbie doesn’t really want to be his friend.

- Next thing he knows, Ryan is following Robbie home from school and inviting himself into his house. Robbie’s mom is so nice, and sees how well the children at her in-home daycare take to Ryan, that she invites him to dinner and their not so real friendship begins.

- Ryan begins eating all meals at Robbie’s house and helps at the daycare. Robbie quickly learns that Ryan wants to do things, such as break into the local construction site, just to get a thrill no matter what the consequences are. Robbie doesn’t want to do this.

- Little by little Ryan starts revealing who he is…such as living in a house with his grandparents who could care less about him. They live in the house everyone in school thinks is haunted. Ryan’s definition of dinner at his house is a hard piece of break, softened by putting water on it, and then spreading the powder macaroni and cheese sauce on top.

- Besides Robbie’s friendship with Ryan, he is also dealing with his uncle being sent off to fight in the war. His once best friend and running part, Robbie is really close with his uncle and devastated with this news.

- This story is told in very brief chapters just shedding enough light onto the situation to keep readers’ attention. When a devastating tragedy happens to his uncle, Ryan does something Robbie can no longer look past.

*The End of the Line is fast-paced, suspenseful, and a good choice for more reluctant readers as well as readers looking for a thriller.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story about redemption and the power of love, hate, and forgiveness begins powerfully with Robbie having been stripped of his belongings and left alone in a room. It seems he's come to the end of the line, and now he must earn his way back home after having been kicked out of several other schools. The narrative shifts from his time in Great Oaks School--he regards it as a prison--and the events in Great Falls that led to his incarceration. It's been a rough couple of years for Robbie. His beloved uncle has gone off to war in Iraq and returned minus a leg and an arm. A new boy at his school, Ryan, has attached himself to Robbie and tries to eat as many meals with his family as he possibly can. Robbie isn't sure about Ryan. Sometimes he thinks they are friends, but at other times, he feels as though Ryan is pushing him to go further than he wants to go and he wonders about the secrets Ryan keeps about his family. Still, Ryan is the one who makes sure that Robbie has support for the marathons he runs, something he started doing with his uncle. When the boys get into a fight near a construction site, tragedy strikes.

Although the methods of Mr. Lester seem harsh, they also seem to have been effective, at least in Robbie's case. There is little discussion of the other schools Robbie attended, and I was curious about how he ended up at Great Oaks as well as its legality, and yet, there are reformatories in existence that somehow exist despite their questionable practices. This one raises many questions and is still making me think about justice and how far we allow others to push us at times. The author's description of Mr. Michaels, Robbie's seventh grade teacher, shows how the wrong sort of teacher can use his power over students in the wrong ways. There's much food for thought here.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the opening chapter, Robbie finds himself in a juvenile detention facility for serious offenders after he has killed a classmate. He carries around a lot of anger about the event and, for the most part, refuses to speak of it. The back story of what caused him to take a life is presented in alternating chapters with a different font to make it easy for the reader to remember which narrative she is reading. The book was engaging enough to keep me turning the pages, but I was left with several unanswered questions. For example, I wondered about the character of Ryan, the boy Robbie killed; he seemed to have some characteristics of Asperger's, but at other points, he seemed to be better socially adjusted. Most of all, I questioned Robbie's placement in such a severe facility for a killing that was essentially an accident.

[Rivkah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this different style of book. Only near the last pages do you get the full "story," sort of like a suspence novel. The way this novel is written, I think it is made for a slightly juvinile audience, perhaps twelve, thirteen. There is no deep "why" no obvious moral to the story- although in most complicated novels there is no real right or wrong answer..

It does explore classic ideas, like "It was an accident" and how the character just lives with his guilt. I do like how the author Cerrito put in some other, older characters in there, and how there was the mystery of what really happened to them; how not everything was revealed.

For me, it wasn't a nail biter, but still a good insight on feelings about imprisonment.

How many reviews do you read before making a decision?

[Jody Bachelder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Robbie has been sent to Great Oaks School/Prison because he has done the unthinkable -- killed a boy -- and this is the last stop after a string of failed attempts at different schools. Told in alternating chapters of the hard-line reform he endures in real time and flashbacks that unravel the story, "End of the Line" will appeal to middle school boys and reluctant high school boys who like dark stories of bad boys going through the cathartic process of admitting guilt and taking responsibility for one's actions. There's a well-imagined subplot about an uncle who is wounded in Iraq and another about Robbie's love of running. Compare this to Alex Flinn's "Breaking Point" and Ben Mikaelson's "Touching Spirit Bear". It's much better than Walter Dean Myers's "Lockdown".

[Alma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a young boy who killed his friend is told in real life and flashbacks through alternating chapters. Robbie is incarcerated in a school which has its nickname as "The end of the line;" a school where kids are placed when no other school will take them. As Robbie recounts how he wound up there, we see a young 7th grader who loves to run and has a gentle heart take in a stray boy named Ryan. Ryan comes from a dysfunctional home and, despite their differences, the boys become friends. Unfortunately, their differences become what separates them, and Robbie winds up killing him. In order to get out of his current prison like situation and return home, Robbie has to admit what he did, and why. However, admission would be assuming guilt, and Robbie is not ready for that - yet.

[Newport Librarians · Rating 2 out of 5]

13 year old Ryan is dead. 13 year old Robbie has killed him. What moves a basically good kid from a good, loving family to do the unthinkable? How has it changed him? Will he recover? Robbie is at the "End of the Line". His family, the school, YDC has tried everything else. Now he starts in an empty room and has to earn his way back: to food, to shoes, to reality, to home.

The concept is fascinating, but the story drags. The book is written in an alternating series of "now" and flashbacks. At first, Robbie isn't likable at all, but I was curious. As the book continues, Robbie becomes a more likable character, but I wasn't drawn in. Ultimately, I finished the book out of morbid curiosity, not because I cared what happened to him.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read blurb before page 1. Robbie has reached the end of the line--which is Great Oaks School (or rather prison). He's there because he keeps getting thrown out of other juvenile detention centers for bad behavior. And he's in juvenile detention centers because he killed a boy named Ryan. Now at Great Oaks, he's in a cell with nothing else. They don't allow him shoes or food unless he's good. No one visits, no one talks to him, except for Mr. Lester--who won't give him food unless he does exactly as Mr. Lester would like. As you read about Robbie at Great Oaks, you get flashbacks of what his life was like before he killed Ryan. You get flashbacks of when Ryan and Robbie were friends--and slowly you get to see what happened to their friendship and what happened to Ryan.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The End Of The Line” by Angela Cerrito When I first started reading this book the cover made me think it was about football but when i started to read i found out that is was not, so i figured why not read the rest. When i started reading the book it started to confuse me because there is two parts to the book, you will find that out when you read it so i stuck with just one of them. This book is really good to read i like it because it pretty my talks about how i am in school and i'm not always the best. When i first started reading this book it was really slow starting but then it got interesting and i really thought the author did a good job at writing this book.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book, but I think I came away from it with a different view of the "school" than the author may have intended. It seems to me that for every success story who is returned to the real world successfully, that "school" will also turn out a potential ax murderer, due to its methods.
Mr. Lester is "doing his job" in the same way that waterboarding isn't torture, and is a bit too sadistic and scary to be believable as the supposedly benevolent figure he comes across by the end. Otherwise, I found the book to be absolutely riveting, and couldn't put it down.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robbie finds himself in a windowless room with just a desk and a chair. A man asks him to make a list - a list of who he is. Robbie puts down his name and the fact that he is a murderer. We learn Robbie's story by switching between Robbie's current life in the institution and flashbacks to his life at home.

Readers will be engrossed in the tale of Robbie and his struggle to come to terms with the tragic events that lead to his stay at the "end of the line".

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robbie is in a school/prison (he's not sure which it is) for murder. Well written in alternating chapters between the past and the present, filling in the events that led to Robbie being locked up and also force him to confront the truth and deal with it so that he can be released. Storyline also includes an uncle who is an important role model who is injured while fighting in the Iraq war.

[Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this books goes from present to past as Robbie deals with killing his best friend during his fight. Robbie's journey to come to grips with his actions and to understand his relationships with his friend and his family is filled with emotions. Robbie could have been better developed as a character.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a 2012 IRA Award nominee finalist for YA fiction. I think our winner from 2009 Freeze Frame told a similar story much better. I like dual track stories that lead to one important moment in time to explain all events, but this book just didn't execute it well. Perhaps the protagonist was too young (13), the circumstances too explainable and the behavioral motivations less than believable.

[Sandy Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-paced, thought-provoking novel about a 12 year old boy who finds himself in difficult circumstances. I liked the main character, Robbie. He came across as a good kid, which is why it was hard to come to terms with his anger, which didn't seem to fit into who I imagined him to be. The narrative flowed well from one chapter to the next, and kept me engaged and interested.

[Dramapuppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the kind of thing I usually read, but I was pleasantly surprised. There's a little mystery aspect. It's interesting watching the flashback storyline progress to meet up with the shorter, present time one. The book was fairly well written and engaging. No real faults, but nothing that makes it stick out, either. It's a quick read anyway, so no reason not to pick it up.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was such a fantastic book! If you LOVE Angela Cerrito and her new book the end of the line, because it feels like it´s you in that situation finding out what happened. I LOVED how when you read the book it felt like it was you in that situation. It´s a good read for Mystery and Horror! I Think Whoever like mystery and horror would love this book.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally loved this book had me reading within a day I got done reading it lmao. It was really good I praise you Angela it was very good and I loved it on one of my wishlists simply because it also made me tear up on few parts poor thing but I loved it none the less.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I thought it would be. Robbie, who says he has murdered his friend, is at a last-chance institution. During the story we find out the whys and wherefores of his being there and whether he can make it out or not.

[Terry Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not enough stars for how I feel about this book and the brilliant writing. Loved, loved, loved this story!

example of said brilliance: "The silence was like a giant hand pulling me and Mom out of the kitchen."

awesome!

[Dakota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Dakota,
When you meet a NEW person WHAT do you do?

If your UNCLE goes to war WHAT will you do then?

Now let's say that you KILLED that new PERSON?

WHAT NOW?

By,
Dakota
P.S. Remember "IF YOU CAN RUN ONE STEP. YOU CAN RUN A MILLION MILES."