The Beckoners [Paperback]

Carrie Mac (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

When her mother suddenly moves them to a new town, Zoe is unhappy about leaving behind what passes for a normal life. And when the first person she meets turns out to be Beck, who rules her new school with a mixture of intimidation and outright violence, she is dismayed. But she has no idea how bad things will get. Unsure of herself and merely trying to fit in, Zoe is initiated, painfully, into the Beckoners, a twisted group of girls whose main purpose is to stay on top by whatever means necessary. Help comes from unlikely quarters as Zoe struggles to tear loose from the Beckoners without becoming a target herself, while also trying to save April—or Dog, as she is called—from further torment.

A chilling portrait of the bullying and violence that is all too common in schools, The Beckoners illustrates the lure of becoming tormentor rather than victim, and the terrible price that can be exacted for standing up for what is right.


(20050101)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–In this stark, atmospheric novel, Zoe's almost-normal life deteriorates rapidly when her mother moves the family to a new town where the school is run by a ruthless gang. Even before the 15-year-old is brutally initiated into the Beckoners, she has serious doubts about her ability to survive. But the situation only gets worse as she struggles with her conscience over the Beckoners' obsessively cruel attacks on the school loser. Zoe risks further alienation as she treads a minefield of deceit, honor, disgust, and self-protection. The adults in her world are so ineffectual, deluded, or disengaged that there is little hope of breaking the gang's tyrannical hold on the community. Mac's novel compellingly portrays the herd mentality that every uncool teen dreads. The pacing is gripping and relentless–readers can expect violence, sex, rough language, and out-of-control behavior. The devastating (yet almost predictable) climax scarcely provides the relief and redemption needed to clear the mind of the horror and tragedy at the hands of such severely disturbed young people.–Roxanne Myers Spencer, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-12. Bullying among girls is at the heart of this novel, and the vicious, violent harassment will stay with readers. Zoe, the story's 15-year-old narrator, agrees to be initiated into the Beckoners because she is terrified of them. Adults are no help: Zoe's mom is busy with her own problems, and a teacher sees but doesn't ask. To her shame, Zoe does nothing to help the bullies' victim, April ("Dog"), who is tormented to the point of collapse. Even when Zoe witnesses rape, she keeps quiet. The ending, when the bullies are finally brought to justice, seems patched on, but the true climax of the book comes when Zoe, who changes slowly as the story moves forward, finally takes a stand. Mac draws her characters with rare complexity. April may be a victim, but at times she's a real pain: she's homophobic, and she insults Zoe's gay friend, Simon, who tries to help her. Use this with Margaret Atwood's adult book Cat's Eye (1989) and YA stories of school torment. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551437295
• ISBN-13: 978-1551437293
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,021,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Plum-Ucci..., November 25, 2005

By 

Lisa F (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beckoners (Library Binding)

I'm a fan of The Body of Christopher Creed and What Happened to Lani Garver by Plum-Ucci because the author tells it how it is...Carrie Mac does the same in The Beckoners...The Beckoners is not a mystery (like Plum-Ucci's books), but a realistic portrayal of what happens in high schools...There are so many "life is so great...blah, blah, blah..." books that it is nice to have a book that deals with what life can really be like.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fall of an Empire, March 29, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Beckoners (Library Binding)

There she was: perched at the top of the jungle gym, stocky, about Zoe's age, short auburn hair stuck up all over the place on purpose, olive green cargo shorts, black tank top, a cigarette pinched between her first and second fingers like a joint, bare feet dangling over the edge, a pair of skater shoes and a puddle of butts on the ground under her. The Beckoners, written by Carrie Mac, is about Zoe, the new girl, April, the geek, and the fall of a five girl empire know as the Beckoners. Once again, Zoe is forced to move due to her mom's job, this time to the small town of Abbotsford. Here Zoe meets Beck, your typical high school bully, and her gang of minions, the Beckoners. Beck decides to make an "investment" in Zoe and initiates her into the Beckoners against her will. Keeping busy is Zoe's only way to avoid hanging out with the Beckoners, so she joins the school paper where she meets her future boyfriend, Leaf, and April, more commonly known as Dog, a regular victim of Beck. Zoe ends up irritating the Beckoners so badly that they painfully un-initiate her. Beck tells her that if she stays out of her way then they wont mess with her anymore. Zoe soon finds out that that is easier said than done when the Beckoners continue to harass April. After nearly killing April and hanging April's dog, Shadow, Zoe comes up with a plan, with the help of Leaf, April, and two other friends, Simon and Teo, to take care of the Beckoners for good. Zoe tells the Beckoners that they made April commit suicide and get them to turn themselves into the police. I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone.

Abbotsford was an excellent town to set the story in. It's a little Christian town in the middle of nowhere (fully equipped with a large neon cross) making all of the characters, other than April, misfits. They are all atheists, and refer to most of Abbotsford's citizens as "the Jesus freaks." Simon and Teo were also gay, creating a great conflict with the perfect little town. The scenery played an important role throughout the story, such as the bandstand where Zoe was initiated and April was nearly killed. I can't think of a better place for the story to take place than Abbotsford.

My favorite thing about this novel was the characters. Each had a distinct personality which made them seem realistic. Simon was always very outspoken, so when the Beckoners came into Zoe's science class to burn April's notebook it was expected that he would somehow make the tense moment comical. April on the other hand was always quiet, so when she was teased and tormented while walking down the halls she acted as if she was oblivious to the people around her, keeping her feelings private. The one person whose actions were always unexpected were Zoe's because she changed so much throughout the story. Great stories need great characters, and this novel definitely delivered.

This story was also very realistic. In high school rumors spread fast and they do the same in this story. When the "What Would You Do?" section was released in the school newspaper, it was a matter of periods before the Beckoners were rampaging throughout the school, looking for April and Zoe. This book is the sad truth about what being a teenager is really like. It doesn't try to make life seem perfect and everyone get along. This could be any real teenager's story.

From the moment Zoe leaves Prince George to the look on the Beckoners' faces as they walk into the police station, The Beckoners quenches the reader's thirst for drama. Its setting, characters, and truth draw the reader in and don't let go until there is nothing left to read. I look forward to reading more of Mac's work in the near future. If you want to read a story filled with excitement and drama you have to pick up The Beckoners.

- R. Martin