Crooked [Hardcover]

Laura McNeal (Author), Tom McNeal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 1999

Clara Wilson has a lot on her mind. Her best friend, Gerri, has started moving in circles that will never in a million years include Clara and her crooked nose. Clara's parents are fighting again, and her mom keeps talking about teaching in France. At least Clara still has Hambone, her loyal dog. And her crush on Amos McKenzie, of course.

Amos McKenzie doesn't much like home these days. His dad's corny questions are bugging him more than usual, and his mom's gone religious for no apparent reason. On top of that, he's starting to fall for a major dink, Clara Wilson. And as it turns out, he's not the only one...

The Tripp Brothers are the biggest delinquents in town. They smash mailboxes, shoplift groceries, and cruise around in their Seduck (half sedan, half truck). They've just turned their sights on the school's newest, cutest couple. And that can only mean one thing for Clara and Amos: danger.

Clara and Amos--their lives turned upside down by each other, their families, and the two meanest brothers in town--discover that honesty may be the answer...but it can be awfully hard to find. In this emotionally compelling and suspenseful young adult novel, Laura and Tom McNeal present a searingly accurate look at life in ninth grade--where thrills, heartbreak, and intimidation can take place at a locker, in the lunchroom, or in a bathroom stall.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alternating the perspective of Clara and Amos, ninth-graders coming of age, Tom McNeal (author of the adult novel, Goodnight, Nebraska) and wife, Laura McNeal, convincingly capture the dynamics of adolescent relationships but muddy the novel with a problematic subplot. Clara Wilson's biggest worry is her crooked nose--until her best friend ditches her, and her parents suddenly separate. Amos MacKenzie's father is dying, his mother is obsessed with religion and his buddy Bruce stalks an intangible girl. Clara and Amos both become targets of town thugs Charles and Eddie Tripp. Readers may question the validity of a few key scenes involving these shady characters: for instance, when Amos attempts to save some snow sculptures from the Tripps' wrath, the brothers beat him unconscious with a baseball bat and Amos is consequently elevated to hero status at school; Clara, an otherwise clear-thinking teen, voluntarily takes a ride with Eddie Tripp when he shows up at her house uninvited--even though she has seen him stealing and knows of his involvement with Amos's injury. Without much buildup to a motivation for such actions by the protagonists, scenes such as these undermine the teens' solid characterizations elsewhere. The book's strength lies in the interactions between Clara and Amos and their relationships with their respective families. Ages 12-up. (Dec.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grade 6-10-In this fine first novel set in upstate New York, two ordinary teens navigate the complicated, sometimes scary world they inhabit. Clara Wilson, 14, has a crooked nose, a best friend who deserts her, and parents who argue all the time. When her mother accepts a teaching job in Spain, Clara feels abandoned and resentful. Fellow ninth-grader Amos MacKenzie has parents who embarrass him, and keep secrets from him. He enjoys a newfound popularity after being attacked by the town bad boys, Charles and Eddie Tripp, but is lost and confused when his father unexpectedly dies following exploratory surgery. His budding relationship with Clara is his only consolation. When the Tripp brothers vow revenge on Amos for reporting them to the police, he and Clara face intimidation, which draws them even closer together. In a dramatic climax, the Tripps break into her house and corner her in the attic. The McNeals' recognition of the angst of junior high with its fickle friendships, bullies, and first love make their novel one that mirrors real life. The characters' actions and reactions ring true as they try to cope with all of the changes that life has dealt them and still maintain a grasp on who they are. For most of the novel, the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters, but in the climactic final chapters, their voices become blended. Readers will come away knowing that even though their paths have taken some unexpected twists and turns, these young people are on a straight and sure course.
Janet Hilbun, formerly at Sam Houston Middle School, Garland, TX
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 4th edition (November 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679893008
• ISBN-13: 978-0679893004
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,718,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Super Book, April 19, 2001

By 

Dagny (Wheatridge Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crooked (Hardcover)

Clara is a 14 year old girl living in the 90's confused by just about every thing the world has to offer. Her family lives in a small town in upstate New York. Clara hits high school and everything goes wrong in her life. She is extremely self conscious about her nose and wants a nose job desperately because it is crooked. Her mom leaves the family for a while to get away from issues, but ends up taking a teaching job in Spain. Meanwhile Clara's `best friend' makes friends with the `popular' group at school and starts ignoring Clara. Then one of her peers father dies and they bond almost instantaneously. The two are pretty much just close friends until one of the two troublemaking brothers takes a liking to Clara and fixes to end Clara and Amos's communication. Clara and Amos won't allow it and the police eventually get involved, leading to an edge of seat ending.

I would recommend this book to readers of age 14-16. It has a slight mature content, but nothing bad, just mature ideas in a 13 year old's world.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable Adolescent Fare, March 27, 2000

By 

C. Karabensh (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crooked (Hardcover)

As a teacher at the middle school level, I can well understand the insecurities and emotional changes inherent in adolescents. While I was reading Crooked, I was struck by the absolute reality of the intense feelings that Clara and Amos had about absolutely everything. This, added to the parallel happenings both in their home lives (his father's death and her mother's disappearance) and in their outside worlds, (his being stalked and her misplaced attraction to the stalker) kept me turning the pages. I have wholeheartedly recommended Crooked to the school librarian and to students of both my drama and English classes. I have also recommended Crooked to friends who would like to better interpret and appreciate the ups and downs of the young adult. We anxiously await the next McNeal book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Read.., September 17, 2004

By 

Vanessa Lechner (Gainesville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crooked (Mass Market Paperback)

Clara is a 14 year old girl in the modern world. She's also obsessed with her slightly crooked nose. On top of that, her parents are fighting and about to split up. Her best friend ditches her for the more "popular" crowd. Not to mention, she has a crush on Amos, who she thinks doesn't know she exists.

But, he does. Amos MacKenzie falls madly for this unpopular dork, Clara Wilson. After his mother becomes extremely religious at the drop of a hat, Amos starts being suspicious. After a run-in with the Tripp brothers, Amos becomes the school's new hero. Just coping with this new found popularity, out of the blue, his father dies in a surgery gone wrong. This situation actually brings Clara and Amos closer together. Until the Clara catches Eddie Tripp's eye and the couple becomes a new target for the infamous Tripp brothers.

Personally, I loved this book. I just couldn't put it down. Amos becomes such a lovable character, and in to the book you even learn to like Eddie. Of course, any girl could relate with sweet Clara at times, as well. It's excellent how the book switches from Amos's and Clara's points of views. It adds a little twist to the book. Overall, I think "Crooked" is an excellent read for teens.