Inside Out [Paperback]

Terry Trueman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2004

In a busy coffee shop, a robbery goes wrong. Two gunmen hold seven hostages, including teenager Zach Wahhsted. What nobody realizes at first is that Zach is anything but ordinary and his troubled mind is more dangerous than any weapon. Terry Trueman has created a compelling character with the same shocking power and heartbreaking compassion as his Printz Honor Award debut novel, Stuck in Neutral.

Ages 12+

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-When two teenage brothers attempt to hold up a Spokane coffee shop where Zach, 16, is waiting for his mother to bring his antipsychotic meds, he is among those held hostage. Thus begins this slender, but harrowing novel that depicts the standoff between the desperate pair and the police outside-all narrated by Zach, who is driven by impulsive outbursts, hateful voices in his head, and difficulty with processing reality. Chapters open with a brief passage that illuminates the history of his illness and suicide attempt, and interventions by his mother and psychiatrist. A phone call from the police to the robbers results in freedom for the others, but Zach, now overdue for his medicine, agrees to remain hostage. An odd bonding ensues among the troubled teens, all of whom are portrayed sympathetically. With no ammunition in their guns, the brothers are basically decent boys, scared and worried about their single mother's unemployment and cancer. Tension builds when one of them is wounded by a stray police bullet. They surrender, and Zach is reunited with his mother, his meds, and the simple comfort of a maple bar he had craved. A stark news article three months later imparts word that the unexpected hero of the crisis has committed suicide, the victim of his tragic illness. Trueman uses Zach's narration to challenge readers to feel the confusion and dark struggle of schizophrenia. The effect is disturbing, if somewhat didactic. Both the grim topic and strong language in this edgy novel suggest a mature audience.
Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. Sixteen-year-old Zach isn't frightened when two armed teenagers hold up the coffee shop where he's waiting for his mother. "The thing is," Zach says, "I'm used to seeing and hearing really weird stuff." In his second novel, the author of Stuck in Neutral (2000) takes readers inside the mind of a schizophrenic teenager. Excerpts from Zach's psychiatric records interweave with his first-person account of the dramatic robbery, offering readers the medical facts as well as Zach's personal story, especially the terror and confusion he feels when he can't distinguish between the real and the imagined. The narrative blend isn't entirely successful. The facts often feel clumsily inserted, and Zach's unreliable voice doesn't allow his story to develop fully. The shocking ending also feels tacked on. But Trueman sometimes captures moments of heartbreaking truth, and his swift, suspenseful plot will have particular appeal to reluctant readers. Suggest Angela Johnson's Humming Whispers (1995) and Lisa Rowe Fraustino's Ash (1995) for more nuanced stories about a young person living with the illness. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064473767
• ISBN-13: 978-0064473767
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #503,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Illness
  • #89 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Special Needs > Fiction

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inside Out, February 25, 2006

By 

Sally "book aficionado" (Peru, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Out (Paperback)

As a teacher with students who are reluctant or low-ability readers, I am always looking for "hot" books which appeal to high schoolers, especially males. This book has been a hit with both genders and readers at all ability levels. I loved it myself! The interesting part of the novel is the fact that the narrator is schizophrenic, so we see the plot events and people through his eyes. The humor and twist in perspective makes the crime plot more intriguing. The novel could also be used in a classroom which was studying the theme of teen justice since the "criminals" are teens with an overwhelming life crisis. Inside Out is a wonderful read just for pleasure for teens and adults alike, but I especially recommend it for those teens who "hate reading" and "have never read an entire book" in their lives. Multiple copies been checked out with a waiting list in my classroom.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every word in this small book is powerful and gripping., July 26, 2004

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Out (Hardcover)

Long gong...barrelcracker... barrel...barrel o'monkeys...wong-gong."

"Time...grime...pantomime...long-gone wong-gong is a wong-gone long gong..."

These words may seem strange and convoluted to you, but Zach Wahhsted hears them in his mind day in and day out. Zach has schizophrenia, which causes him to hear voices. He finds that if he takes all of his medication on time, the voices go away and he has fewer problems getting through the day.

All Zach wants is a maple bar as he waits at the local coffee shop for his mother to bring him his meds. But before she can deliver them, Zach finds himself a hostage in the middle of a holdup gone wrong. The longer he goes without his medication, the more difficult a time he has keeping in touch with reality.

Hours after he is supposed to receive his medication, Zach agrees to stay behind as a hostage while the boys he calls Frosty and Stormy let everyone else in the coffee shop go free as part of a deal with the police. Reality begins to slip away, and the voices in Zach's head grow louder as he tries to stay alive and get out of this mess.

Complex and chilling, Terry Trueman's picture of a schizophrenic's mind alternates between lucid and hallucinogenic. Often, the reader's feelings towards Zach are as confused as Zach's thoughts. Every word in this small book is powerful and gripping. Don't be surprised if you find yourself out of breath at the end.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Kraft Webber

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inside Out Is INTENSE And Eye-Opening, September 20, 2003

By 

Jarrod T Thompson "Young Adult Author" (Junction City, KS) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inside Out (Hardcover)

Terry Trueman has done it again! Inside Out is an amazingly intense read.

The main character, Zach is perfectly framed in a bad situation, a hold up, but nothing could be as bad as the battle Zach has going on in his mind. Zach suffers from schizophrenia and tries very hard to do what is perceived to be "appropriate" in our society.

Trueman manages to create a character in Zach that is unforgettable. This story MOVES so fast, it is over before you know it. I could not put this book down.

Trueman's ability to draw the reader in and make each character, major or minor, an important one is unparalleled.

This book is a wonderful mix of a fast-paced story with action, tense moments of anticipation, and characters that the reader can identify with immediately.

To top all of that off, Terry Trueman has alerted the public about the horrors of schizophrenia.

You have done it again Terry Trueman!