β Scribed by Moon, Russell
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Grade 8 Up-Marcus Aurelius is in a quandary. He's moving to a new town with his mom just as something dreadful happens to his girlfriend that he may or may not have caused. (Readers never find out here.) Some new mystical talents are budding inside him, but he's not sure he wants them. In his new town, Marcus meets some fellow students who already know him. His reputation has preceded him and his new "friends" are anxious to help him develop his powers. Marcus has to confront his feelings about his new abilities, while deciding whether or not to believe what everyone is saying about him. The book contains intense sexual situations and language, and the dialogue can be hard to follow. Some readers may become confused, even frustrated with the story, as it tends to jump around. The protagonist's knack of thinking and speaking metaphorically all the time can be exhausting. Nothing is resolved here; perhaps things will be if readers have the patience to wait for the rest of the series-if they care.
Julie E. Darnall, Chester County Library, Exton, PA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 11-12. This original paperback, the first volume in a new trilogy, is creepy, gory, sexy, and explicit. Since turning 17, Marcus has discovered that things have gotten weird: he can knock down trees and throw large rocks without even touching them. Something of a loner, Marcus spends most of his time in the woods with his faithful dog, Chuck. However, he does have Jules. They have never made love, but she's all for it. Marcus hesitates, but on the eve of his moving away, he agrees. All goes as planned until the actual act, when something unthinkable happens--but what? Marcus is left wondering whether he is "the perpetrator of absolute evil, or the victim of it." Things don't get any better in the new town, where he freaks out over what may have happened and is stunned to be asked to join a coven and learn that Chuck is his familiar. Chris Lynch is named on the copyright page of this page-turner, but the book isn't for Lynch's younger fans. The audience is older YAs, even though the book title and cover art scream, "middle readers." Sally Estes
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