You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
The title of this book is what attracted me to it: the use of the word narc is bold and eye-catching. I'll admit that it also made me think of the film "21 Jump Street" although I did not expect much humor from this book based on the cover.
I was right to not expect much humor because if I had, I would have been disappointed. Instead we have the story of Aaron, coerced into informing about the top drug dealer at his school in exchange for leniency toward his sister (I was very uncomfortable with the way the cop used Aaron's underage sister in this situation and I hope that is atypical behavior for our police officers). Thus stoner and mostly invisible Aaron has to break out of his shell and get close to the power players who have been supplying the kids at his school.
My overwhelming feelings toward this book were a big fat MEH. I could not connect with Aaron and had trouble following some of the plot threads. Why was he hanging out with this person? How did Aaron know that she was involved? Is that really the next logical step in bringing down the drug ring? How is that person related to this situation? I'm still not entirely sure how everything came together and was startled to realize how close to the end I was without feeling ready for any kind of conclusion. I did feel a bit more interested at the end because the action became more intense but it also brought in some completely new characters who pushed the book in a different direction and did not erase my confusion.
I thought the book did a pretty good job of capturing Aaron's moral conflicts during his stint as a narc though. As he grows closer to some of the people they are targeting, he increasingly wants to protect them, seeing them as messed-up kids themselves who are in need of help and trying to balance that against protecting his own family. I just wish I had felt more interested in Aaron's situation.
Overall: A book that failed to capture my interest; cannot recommend.
Cover: The dark grime captures the seedy look into the underground drugs ring at the local high school.
I was right to not expect much humor because if I had, I would have been disappointed. Instead we have the story of Aaron, coerced into informing about the top drug dealer at his school in exchange for leniency toward his sister (I was very uncomfortable with the way the cop used Aaron's underage sister in this situation and I hope that is atypical behavior for our police officers). Thus stoner and mostly invisible Aaron has to break out of his shell and get close to the power players who have been supplying the kids at his school.
My overwhelming feelings toward this book were a big fat MEH. I could not connect with Aaron and had trouble following some of the plot threads. Why was he hanging out with this person? How did Aaron know that she was involved? Is that really the next logical step in bringing down the drug ring? How is that person related to this situation? I'm still not entirely sure how everything came together and was startled to realize how close to the end I was without feeling ready for any kind of conclusion. I did feel a bit more interested at the end because the action became more intense but it also brought in some completely new characters who pushed the book in a different direction and did not erase my confusion.
I thought the book did a pretty good job of capturing Aaron's moral conflicts during his stint as a narc though. As he grows closer to some of the people they are targeting, he increasingly wants to protect them, seeing them as messed-up kids themselves who are in need of help and trying to balance that against protecting his own family. I just wish I had felt more interested in Aaron's situation.
Overall: A book that failed to capture my interest; cannot recommend.
Cover: The dark grime captures the seedy look into the underground drugs ring at the local high school.
The premise of this novel is that the main character's sister has gotten herself--and her brother--into trouble with the law. To protect his little sister and save himself, Aaron, who is a senior in high school, makes a deal with the police. He agrees to go undercover to help them find the source of drugs being dealt at his school. The story is set in modern Miami, Florida. Going undercover turns out to be harder than he expects and Aaron finds himself making difficult choices when his new friendship with an attractive girl who seems bent on self-destruction leads him and the police deep into the Everglades. Unfortunately, choppy, uneven writing distract from what should have been a suspenseful story. Unexpected twists and turns are seen in the characters' personalities and motivations, rather than the plot, which is predictable at best.
This review refers to an uncorrected advance proof copy of the novel obtained by request from the publisher through netgalley.com.
Expected publication date for this book is August 08, 2012
This review refers to an uncorrected advance proof copy of the novel obtained by request from the publisher through netgalley.com.
Expected publication date for this book is August 08, 2012
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.)
I have had this book for SO LONG and I finally read it! It was a quick read and kept me entertained :)
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
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.
Spoiler
It really started falling apart when Aaron decides to leave home in order to protect his family's safety. He tells his mom he "has to go" for a while, and then he tells Skully that he's been kicked out of his house. This is all great set up for what's to come -- the bust -- but the thing is, as readers we never actually watch as Aaron thinks through his plan. It just happens. Prior to this, Aaron had given us a lot of insight into what he was thinking. After this moment, though, things just happen without tipping the reader off. Not always necessary to do that for the reader, but because the following events are huge -- the party in the Glades, the fight, the fire, the arrests, the release of those arrested -- I needed a little bit more of Aaron's insights.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.