The Shadow Place brings together school violence, Instant Messaging, and the loyalty of old friends -- in a suspensful page-turner. Lissa's neighbor and best friend, Rodney, has always been strange, but now he's buyihg guns over the Internet. If Rodney acts on his threats of violence, who will be the victim; his abusive father or one of his taunting classmates.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Lissa, the 14-year-old heroine of this issue-driven first novel, faces a dilemma: what should she do when she suspects that her neighbor and childhood friend, Rodney, is planning a horrible crime? For years Lissa has sympathized with Rodney, even before his alcoholic but gentle mother left him in the care of his bullying father, but the teen's compassion for Rodney competes with her desire to fit in with her friends at school, who ostracize him. Now Rodney appears to be becoming violent could he be the one who tampered with the showers in the boys' locker room, scalding his tormentors? When his mother returns briefly only to abandon him again, Rodney snaps, and only Lissa knows Rodney well enough to observe the dangerous combination of his rage and his growing obsession with weapons. Lissa's attempts to voice her concerns about him are invariably silenced by obtuse adults ("That's nonsense," her mother says when Lissa complains about Rodney's father's cruelty. "Rodney loves his father. All Bob's yelling goes in one ear and right out the other"). "Transcripts" of computer chats (replete with argot like "I gg 2, cya L8r") lend some authenticity to the voices of the teens, but slow the pace, already burdened by an overlong set-up. While Lissa's many doubts and tentative measures are realistic, they also interfere with the development of suspense. Ages 11-14.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Lissa's lifelong friend and next-door neighbor, Rodney, has been acting stranger than usual lately. His anger toward his verbally abusive father has increased, his lack of patience for Lissa's other friends has become a nuisance, and his obsession with guns has her frightened. Even her attempts to lure him into their secret "Shadow Place" game fail miserably. Rodney's mother, who left the family two years earlier, comes back into the picture just long enough to tell him that she has remarried and is moving to Saudi Arabia. This is the last straw for him. He disappears with some of his father's guns, and Lissa is forced to follow the clues he leaves behind to figure out where he has gone and what he is planning. The story unfolds through e-mail, chat-room dialogue, and narrative but the characters are never developed beyond their surface personas. Rodney's problems with his overbearing father are, unfortunately, all too realistic, and some young teens will easily put themselves into his shoes. Lissa's hesitance in deciding whether or not to stand by her friend is a true picture of what peer pressure can do. Readers seeking a gritty, dramatic story will be disappointed, but others content not to seek out deeper meaning will be satisfied with this quick if somewhat predictable read.
Kimberly L. Paone, Elizabeth Public Library, NJ
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kimberly L. Paone, Elizabeth Public Library, NJ
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great communication tool !,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Shadow Place (Single Titles) (Hardcover)
Carol Tanzman has done an outstanding job in not only addressing violence/abusive behavior in schools/home but she also addresses the fears and concerns of teenagers. What a terrific communications tool to help a parent/teacher broach these issues with their teens and vise versa. Top all that with the fact that it is an entertaining read. It compels you to finish it as soon as possible.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!,
By Genna Goldberg (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Shadow Place (Single Titles) (Hardcover)
The Shadow Place is the first book I have read that really captures the language and issues teens deal with today. I have given it as a gift to teens I know and they have all loved it. They see traits in Lissa and Rodney that are just like them. It gave us a great forum with which to discuss issues and pressures they deal with everyday. I highly recommend it.
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