From Publishers Weekly
What if you hit a little girl with your car and you could be certain nobody would ever find out? That's the premise of this compelling morality tale. At first, 15-year-old track star Webber can't remember anything about the crash that rendered him unconscious, the country road or the brief moments his grandfather let him take over the wheel of the Lincoln. Then his grandfather tells the police that he, not Webber, was driving when the car ran into Taffy Putnam, injuring her so badly she will never walk again. But as Webber struggles to regain the use of the leg he broke in the car accident, he is haunted by flashbacks and horrifyingly recalls his culpability. "Nobody else has to know," Grandpa assures a tormented Webber, insisting he not confess to authorities. Tomey (The Queen of Dreamland) creates a suspenseful tale with a memorable protagonist, even if the supporting castAhis misguided grandfather and righteous, save-the-dolphins Dylis Clark, Taffy's former baby-sitterAAoccasionally seems stereotypical. Also hovering in the background are images of Webber's father, who died trying to save the life of a man who fell through the ice when Webber was eight. Though the ending lacks the note of finality found in Blackwater (reviewed above), the author's convincing portrayal of Webber's internal conflict (e.g., "They bought him presents and hugged him and high-fived him and waited on him and admired him. Because they didn't know what he had done to Taffy Putnam. And he couldn't tell anyone the truth") will likely satisfy readers that he'll do the right thing. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 8-10-Fifteen-year-old Webber Freegy, poised to become the fastest runner on his high school track team, is driving without a license with his grandfather when he hits a 10-year-old girl on a bicycle. At first, in the hospital, he is unable to remember anything about the day of the accident. His grandfather tells Webb and the police that he was driving and lost control. As the weeks pass, however, Webb remembers that he was the one behind the wheel. After this discovery, he struggles with his conscience and must face the truth before his guilt crushes his will to recover. His grandfather, always praising Webb's dead father as a hero, fears that the boy will face jail time if the truth comes out. Webb's classmate, Dylis Clark, the paralyzed child's baby-sitter, displays no affection for the track star with the broken leg and suspects that he is lying. With these two forces pulling him in different directions, Webb must make a potentially life-altering decision. Most of the central characters in this story are well developed, and readers are drawn into the teen's struggle as he slowly comes apart under the weight of what happened. However, the ending, in which Webb confronts his grandfather with his decision to tell the truth, may be too abrupt for some readers, who will want to know what happens after he confesses.
Karen Hoth, Marathon Middle/High School, FL Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
by John Howard Griffin
