What Happened to Cass Mcbride? [Library Binding]

Gail Giles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2009

"The setting is claustrophobic, the characters are complex and the story will keep readers on the edge of their seats," KLIATT raved of this vivid, fast-paced psychological thriller in a starred review. Kyle Kirby has planned a cruel and unusual revenge on Cass McBride, the most popular girl in school, for the death of his brother David. He digs a hole. Kidnaps Cass. Puts her in a box--underground. He buries her alive. But lying in the deepest dark, Cass finds a weapon: she uses the power of words to keep her nemesis talking--and herself breathing--during the most harrowing 48 hours of her life.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Cass is that girl in high school who does whatever it takes to be popular-which means stomping all over everyone else. David is that awkward boy who painfully lurks on the outside of all of the social groups. When he commits suicide, his older brother is out for revenge against the girl whom he believes is responsible for David's death. Giles's characters are frighteningly believable. The story is part mystery, part psychological drama that involves dysfunctional families and abuse, and part crime investigation. It is told by Cass, her captor, and the police investigating her disappearance. Slowly, through these narrations, readers see what caused David's suicide and Kyle's anger and are given insight as to why Cass behaves as she does. This book will disturb readers, frighten them, and make them feel as though they are trapped like the characters. It is a thrilling, one-sitting read that they won't be able to put down.—Sherry Quinones, Frederick County Public Libraries, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

What happened to Cass McBride? Well, she has been buried alive by Kyle Kirby, who blames her for his brother David's suicide. After asking Cass out, David finds a note she leaves for a friend in which she laughs about an invitation from someone so low on the food chain. Then David hangs himself. Told in alternating voices, including that of a police officer, this intense story has some horrifying moments; readers will feel as terrorized as Cass as she struggles to survive, both physically and mentally. At the same time, there are plenty of psychological thrills as Cass tries to win her release by outwitting Kyle. In the teens' dialogues, it becomes clear that both have parents who have withheld love, and the brothers, especially David, have suffered extreme verbal abuse. The depiction of Kyle's mother goes over the top, but overall this packs a wallop. Readers won't forget David's suicide note, pinned to his skin: "Words are teeth. And they eat me alive. Feed on my corpse instead." Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding: 211 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439569584
• ISBN-13: 978-1439569580
• Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 23, 2006

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Happened to Cass McBride? (Hardcover)

Holy Cow! That was, literally, what I said to myself after turning the last page of Gail Giles's newest release, WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE? Although I've read many of the author's books in the past, I have to say that I think this one, even more than Shattering Glass or Playing in Traffic, is my new favorite.

The plot is pretty straight-forward; is, in fact, told pretty matter-of-factly on the inside cover. Something bad has happened to pretty, popular Cass McBride. Something that involves Kyle Kirby, and his younger brother, David, who just happens to be dead. That much you'll get right away. What you won't get, until you start reading the book, is that this is a psychological thriller that will have you flipping pages like a madman (or woman).

It's actually hard to tell readers about the storyline of this book without giving too much away. Let's just say that David Kirby has committed suicide, Cass feels slightly responsible, and Kyle is sure Cass is to blame. What happens because of those three circumstances is something unexpected, something that, due to the author's vivid writing and imagination, will leave you breathless.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE? is a glimpse into many different points of view. That of Cass McBride herself, who has had a pretty strange upbringing and doesn't even realize it until Kyle Kirby takes matters into his own hands. Then there's Kyle himself, a young man who has had the type of childhood you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Then there's the police detective, Ben, who has his own story to tell, and ones to listen to. And although we don't really get to hear David Kirby tell his story (he is, after all, quite dead), we learn about a boy who never really even had a chance.

This is a great book for all lovers of a good thriller, although I wouldn't recommend it for very young teens. That said, however, this is the perfect book for a reluctant reader, as the short chapters, fresh dialogue, and snappy writing style keep you moving right along. This is another must-read from author Gail Giles!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richie's Picks: WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE?, November 10, 2006

By 

Richie Partington "Richie's Picks" (Sebastopol, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Happened to Cass McBride? (Hardcover)

With WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE, Gail Giles has penned the most powerful book of her career. A suspenseful, psychological thriller, I had a vanload of students absolutely riveted to my reading a few days ago when I provided them an extended taste of the book that'd kept me up until the early hours the night before. David Kirby's big brother Kyle learned too late about the note Cass wrote, but he did find out all about it. The scathing note discussing David having the audacity to ask out the beautiful and popular Cass was meant for the eyes of Cass's best girlfriend. But it ended up in David Kirby's hands just days before David hung himself from a limb on the tree in his front yard.

Now, when Cass awakens from her drug-induced sleep, she will slowly come to the chilling realization that Kyle Kirby has kidnapped her and buried her alive with a crude air supply system and walkie talkie setup through which he can torture her for what she did to his brother.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE changes time and perspective as we shift back and forth from Cass's time underground, to a colorful group of crackerjack cops desperately trying to unravel the inexplicable kidnapping of a wealthy businessman's daughter, to Kyle's later recounting for the police why and how he did what he did to Cass McBride.

With the pinpoint accuracy of a brain surgeon, Gail Giles deftly probes the lives and minds of Cass and Kyle along with that of the four parents who have so much to do with the places that Cass, Kyle, and David have ended up.

As a child I spent a lot of time doing plumbing repairs in some very tight, musty crawlspaces underneath old houses. The only instances of claustrophobia I recall experiencing have been at times when I was getting crushed near the stage during oversold standing room-only concerts. I've no doubt that there will be those for whom the author's sensory-filled descriptions of Cass's dark, narrow, earthy, urine-y wooden prison will be far too terrifying. But for me, it's a dark thrill of a read that may not be topped for a long time to come.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short summry of Cass McBride, October 2, 2006

By 

Gail Giles (Woodlands, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Happened to Cass McBride? (Hardcover)

Cass McBride is the girl who knows how to get what she wants. Her father, a salesman, has taught her the rules of the "Sale." She manipulates. And she rules the school. Kyle Kirby has a mother that taught him some rules too, rules of anger and hate. When these two collide, Cass McBride ends up buried alive. But that's not enough for Kyle. He gives her a source of air and a walkie talkie so he can torture her with words. But words are what Cass wants. They are her currency to get out of this box.

Or can she? Kyle isn't exactly sane.

Ben Gray and his detectives are looking for Cass but they can find no connection between Cass and Kyle. All they know is a boy named David commited suicide a few days before and Cass didn't even know him. Did she?