Playing in Traffic [Paperback]

Gail Giles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2006

I WAS THE GHOST OF THE SCHOOL CORRIDORS.

SKYE WAS THE DEVIL.

AND I WAS DOOMED FROM THE DAY SHE SPOKE TO ME

Skye Colby? She's the multi-pierced, multi-tattooed girl hanging around the cybercafés, always out at odd hours in marginal places. The jocks call her "slut puppy," the bland blondes in the plaid miniskirts wrinkle their noses at her, the teachers think she's brilliant, and the counselors call her unstable.

She's all of those things. So why has she singled out Matt Lathrop, an almost invisible nobody, for special attention? Clearly her agenda is dangerous, and clearly Matt should walk away. But how? Skye means mystery; she trails drama in her goth wake. Skye signals an end to his dreary existence -- but at what price?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–Weird Goth-girl Skye has singled out Matt for attention. He's not sure why, since he's always tried his best to remain anonymous. He agrees to meet with her secretly and likes the excitement she adds to his life. When Skye claims that her stepfather abuses her and that her stepsister suffers from Down's syndrome, Matt feels compelled to "save" her. When another student warns him that Skye is not what she seems, Matt notices inconsistencies in her version of events and begins to question why she lures him to her parents' beach house for intimacy. The characterization and teen dialogue are mostly on target, with the exception of the remarkable maturity of Matt's 13-year-old sister. His self-questioning and paralysis when under stress will sound familiar to teens but the conclusion is disappointing. There are way too many loose ends, and Skye's sinister over-the-top demands detract from the character study of a quiet young man and a deeply disturbed girl.–Karen Hoth, Marathon Middle/High School, FL
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. Matt Lathrop is Mr. Cellophane, a high-school senior everyone looks right through. So he is shocked when Goth girl Skye Colby picks him as someone with whom she wants to share both her body and her secrets. Soon Matt realizes that there's an underlying agenda, but he is still surprised when he learns what it is. Supporting the main story is a subplot in which Matt's relationship with his adored younger sister is scarred by more secrets. Giles, who knows how to construct a tightly wound plot, continues to turn the tension up in this one. Her pacing is impeccable, and the story races along. The characterizations (of the kids, though not always the adults) are sharp and strong, and although the language is sometimes rough, it always sounds real. In the end, the event everything has been leading up to isn't particularly shocking, nor will it elicit much sympathy from the reader. Despite that, there are few authors writing this sort of thriller, so expect fans of Nancy Werlin and Giles' previous books to grab this one. Ilene Cooper
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

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416909265
• ISBN-13: 978-1416909262
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Suspense
  • #81 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Social Issues > Violence
  • #89 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Violence

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow could not put this book down!, November 29, 2004

By 

annmmar "ASMB" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing in Traffic (Hardcover)

This is the second book I have read of Giles and like the previous one this too leaves you gasping for more. Matt is a high school senior who is not one of the popular students. Barely any one notices him, except his two similar personality friends Jeremy and Ken. Then one day the school slut and goth girl Skye begins to notices him and want him as her boyfriend/lover. They both keep their affair a secret for different reasons which is eventually layed out as the book progresses. As you start in on the first few pages you get curious to Skye motives, is she setting him up for a big joke to the rest of the school in a school dance party or is it possible she may really like him. This book will have you speed reading to see what happens next. As with her last book I did not like how it ended and here she continues the trend of leaving you the reader hanging. When you read the book you will see why I have said this. With that in mind though, the characters are well written and their thoughts are truely believable that these could be teenagers we the audience know. Great read. Get ready for a banger ending.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Play Along, December 29, 2004

By 

Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing in Traffic (Hardcover)

I devoured "Playing in Traffic" in one sitting. I enjoyed it just as much if not more than Gail Giles' previous release, "Dead Girls Don't Write Letters." Once again, Giles has written a novel about the relationships of teenagers and their families which is thought-provoking without being preachy.

What happens when the bad girl goes for the good boy? The girl is Skye, whose reputation has been sullied over the years in high school; the boy is Matt, who thinks he is invisible to everyone but Katy, his likeable, quirky younger sister. They attend the same high school but never speak - until she starts seeking him out.

When Skye begins leaving notes for Matt to meet her privately, he can't resist. When she demands that their relationship stay a secret, he can't protest. When her requests turn sinister, he can't pull away.

This short but sweet book is a page-turner. If you enjoy other psychological teen thrillers such as Amadine by Adele Griffin and Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser, you will want to read Playing in Traffic.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling page turner, May 30, 2005

By 

MC "Vampire with a soul" (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing in Traffic (Hardcover)

Gail Giles impressed me with Shattering Glass, and I was hoping for something like that with Playing in Traffic. Even though this book didn't wow me as much as Shattering Glass, it kept me enthralled and waiting for the next event.

Most interesting in the book is not the "dangerous" relationship between main character Matt and Goth-girl Skye, but rather it's the bond between Matt as a brother and his younger sitster Katy (who he finds out is only his half sister). When Katy discovers the truth and that Matt knew all along, the emotion Giles has built leaves an emptiness in the pit of your stomach.

Another element that deserves applause is her credible, thrilling, and close to over-the-top ending. Definitely worth the read.