Finding Lubchenko [Mass Market Paperback]

Michael Simmons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2006

Since his millionaire father never gives him any money, slacker genius Evan Macalister "liberates" equipment from Dad’s business and sells it on line. But then a man is murdered and Mr. Macalister is accused. Evan alone can clear his father’s name—but only by revealing his own theft operation. And then he’ll be grounded forever. There’s just one thing to do—find the real murderer. Armed only with a cryptic e-mail from someone named Lubchenko, Evan sets off on a quest that catapults him and his two best friends into a world of danger and international intrigue.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Evan Macalister, 16, never thinks twice about making wrong decisions, especially when it comes to relieving his overbearing, penny-pinching father of a few minor pieces of computer equipment from his high-tech medical company to hock on eBay. But when his dad is arrested for the murder of a colleague and the evidence to clear him just happens to be on a laptop that Evan lifted from the victim's office just before he was killed, the teen realizes that he's faced with two choices. One, turn the laptop over to the police and face the wrath of his father, or two, solve the mystery himself. Of course ever-impulsive Evan chooses the latter, and, with his dad's credit card in tow, he and two friends travel first class to Paris to find Lubchenko, the missing link who supposedly can clear his dad's name. As in Pool Boy (Millbrook, 2003), Simmons once again masters the voice of a smart-alecky teenage boy. However, this book quickly veers into an uproariously fast-paced, James Bond-like spy chase through upscale Paris, all seen through the eyes of a quick-thinking, smart-mouthed ne'er-do-well who shoots for the ridiculously impossible and completely succeeds–well, almost.–Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library
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.

About the Author

Michael Simmons lives in New York and Paris, France.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (May 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595140751
• ISBN-13: 978-1595140753
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,834,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wild ride, June 24, 2005

By 

A. Lynn (New England, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finding Lubchenko (Hardcover)

I was already a fan of Michael Simmons from Pool Boy, so I had high expectations, and Finding Lubchenko more than met them! Evan's adventure is fast-paced, funny, and really smart. Evan is hilariously bold (stealing from his dad's office and then selling the goods on EBAY? Flying to Paris on his dad's gold card? Hello?) -- but what really makes the book is his wise-ass take on it all. I couldn't put this book down and totally recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor, a sense of adventure, and who loves a good story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ferris Bueller Goes to Paris, April 25, 2006

By 

Jennifer Robinson "Editor of Jen Robinson's B... (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finding Lubchenko (Hardcover)

I personally think that "Finding Lubchenko" should be sub-titled "Ferris Bueller Goes to Paris." The main character, Evan, is a smart-aleck troublemaker who lures his nerdy best friend, Ruben, into trouble. Ruben and Evan end up skipping town to go to Paris for a week, accompanied by the lovely Erika, where they have many adventures. Ruben and Evan's backgrounds are backwards from Ferris and Cameron's (from the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off). Evan has the difficult, strict father who yells all the time, while Ruben has the liberal, lenient parents who don't notice what's going on right in front of their eyes. However, reading the dialog between Evan and Ruben, as Evan basically bullies Ruben into getting into dangerous situations, made me think of Ferris Bueller over and over again.

Finding Lubchenko is actually a mystery/thriller. Sixteen-year-old Evan is called to the principals's office one day to hear the news that his wealthy father has been arrested for murder. The fact that his straight-laced, Lutheran father could have actually committed the murder is never a serious possibility. However, Evan's own shady activities (stealing from his father's biotech firm) put him in a difficult bind. He has the evidence to free his father, but to share this evidence with the FBI will surely get Evan and Ruben into deep trouble. Evan decides instead to find evidence regarding who really committed the murder. This requires a trip to Paris (charged to Dad's credit card), and a somewhat dangerous investigation following the path of a real killer.

Despite the presence of a murderer, and the extremely dysfunctional relationship between Evan and his Dad, this is a relatively light novel. Evan's voice, expressed in first person, is entertaining and smart-alecky. The book is peppered with brief tangents illustrating Evan's relationship with his Dad, Evan's unrequited love of Erika, Evan's insecurities, and the teen night life in Paris. Most of these asides contribute to the development of Evan's character, and particularly illustrate his relationship with his widowed father.

I found Finding Lubchenko to be a fast-paced, enjoyable adventure, with an engaging teen voice. I will keep my eyes open for other books by Michael Simmons.

This review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on April 24th, 2006.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars teenage james bond gets involved in bioterror plot, September 21, 2006

By 

Patty Bibliotecaria "P. Bibliotecaria" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finding Lubchenko (Mass Market Paperback)

Simmons has invented a new subgenre, the touching thriller, and his novel succeeds at being both. Meet Evan Macalister III, a sixteen-year-old slacker living in Seattle with his incredibly wealthy tightwad father. In his father's eyes, Evan can do no right and so does not see the point of trying. He is a "charming, funny cutup" and incredibly nonchalant, a teenage James Bond who gets mixed up in bioterror. The story here, though, is better than any 007 movie.

Motherless, he and his seventy-year-old father suffer a huge generation gap. The touching part is the way they navigate their relationship. His father is arrested for murder and Evan finds himself with some evidence that would clear his father but implicate him in some criminal activity of his own. Aided by his nerdy partner in crime, Ruben, Evan discovers a clue and decides that the best course of action is to look for more evidence that would not incriminate them. The action moves to Paris as they hunt down the mysterious Lubchenko. The Bond girl is Erika, Evan's other best friend, on whom he harbors a secret crush. She speaks French and joins the caper to translate when they head to Paris.

Told in the first person in an incredibly consistent narrative voice, no sentence is out of character. Evan walks a moral tightrope throughout and the buildup to the climax is masterful, a perfectly paced thriller. Simmons employs a unique style of characterization; instead of assigning them adjectives, he has Evan tell a story about the characters' behavior. So when he tells the story about his father's business partner offering him beer at twelve years old, the reader knows what sort of man he is. Though there is underage drinking, there is also a mild anti-drug message. The language is relatively clean and the single violent scene is necessary. Chapters are short, as few as four pages. This title has appeal for young adult readers tired of the same old stuff. One of the most exciting reads to come along in a while--the intriguing cover art and title are only icing on the cake.