Ricochet (Mass Market Paperback)

by Julie Gonzalez (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 8–10—Connor's life changes in an instant when he and his friends, egged on by Will, play a game of "idiot's roulette" (a version of Russian roulette) with a stolen gun, and the 15-year-old's best friend, Daniel, is killed in the process. Will is charged with murder, and Connor and another boy are charged as accessories. Connor's narrative moves back and forth in time, with flashbacks to his and Daniel's childhoods. After the accident, the novel focuses on Connor's introspective journey of self-knowledge and self-forgiveness. This is where the narrative tension flags, because the outcome is really never in doubt. Artistic, articulate, and sensitive, Connor is surrounded by caring adults and a stable, supportive family who help him to come to terms with life after the tragedy. It is more difficult, however, to determine when this novel takes place. The boys play video games, and Connor's brother is a skateboarder, but what contemporary teenage boys use "trippy" to mean wild or "palling around" to refer to hanging out? Connor's inability to walk away from the game is not entirely believable because he is not portrayed as someone who would cave easily under peer pressure (he is a dedicated violinist who seems to have a strong sense of self). Secondary characters are fairly well developed, although Will is stereotypical. Ultimately not compelling, this book may be useful for collections needing additional titles that deal with peer pressure, understanding the consequences of one's actions, and the importance of saying "no" to bullies.—Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Fifteen-year-old Conner is pressured into a game of Russian roulette. The game ends tragically when Will, the instigator and bully in the group, turns the gun on Daniel, Connor's best friend, killing him instantly. For his involvement, Connor is placed on probation, but he is much harder on himself than the court was. Connor's tight-knit family is fragmented in its reaction: one brother takes him joyriding; another ignores him. Only his little sister is able to recall the good memories that they all share about Daniel. Connor stays busy by working at a hardware store and immersing himself in his violin studies. He begins to compose a violin piece, a cathartic activity that helps him process his role in Daniel's death and move on with his life. Brief chapters jump between past and present, punctuated by Connor's symbolic and revealing dreams. The aftereffects of a senseless tragedy are clearly felt in this novel, as is the premise that though it may never be the same, life does indeed go on. Heather Booth
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf; Reprint edition (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440239052
• ISBN-13: 978-0440239055
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #524,368 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong, character driven drama, April 23, 2007

By	1846 (Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ricochet (Hardcover)

This is an engrossing read with an intelligent, well-crafted style that will remind the reader of the author's first novel, Wings. But although these stories both combine realism with a mystical undertone, they are altogether different. As in her first book, Julie Gonzalez creates a strong and convincing masculine point of view with narrator Conner Kaeden. Conner lives with the chilling nightmare of having watched as his closest friend was killed with a gun by another boy during a game of chance. Conner is bright and artistic and his emotional pain is pervasive. Like Wings, the chapters are wistful vignettes, generally brief, sometimes as short as a few lines. In this book, chapters bounce in a non-chronological timeline as memories bombard Conner - memories of his friend Daniel, of the fateful night in which Daniel died, and events from earlier in their shared childhood. Another common theme in this author's two novels is the importance to the central character and theme of family. In both novels we see loving parents who agonize over their sons' demons - struggling to understand the predicaments consuming their families. Yet another common denominator is the closeness that develops between the brothers in both stories. Conner and his brother James bond after the shooting in ways they never had before, just as Ian and Ben bond so beautifully in Wings.

The short scenes are tightly written with lyrical beauty. Particularly moving is a scene with Daniel's mother, in which Conner asks, "But don't you hate me? I was there." Her answer is the heart of what Conner must learn to accept. Another excellent characterization is that of Conner's wise and kind violin teacher, who always manages to do and say the right thing.

The story is about Conner's quest for forgiveness; perhaps the greatest lesson he learns about the subject is when he himself realizes he must also learn to forgive another's offense.

The author wisely and carefully sidesteps making any political message for this gun related story. This is a story about the effect of the event on the main characters and not about taking a stand on either side of this volatile issue.

Julie Gonzalez creates beautiful, serious stories filled with well-developed characters and relationships. Her writing is thought provoking and emotionally charged as well as warm. I look forward to more works by this author.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, April 10, 2007

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

This review is from: Ricochet (Hardcover)

Four boys. An abandoned rooftop. A gun. A game of Russian-roulette.

Connor Kaeden's life is changed forever. He and one friend are on probation. Another "friend" is in jail. His best friend is dead. What happens next?

Every one of Connor's relationships has been affected. His parents now question his every move. His younger brother won't even look at him. His older brother suddenly starts including him in his late-night escapades. His best friend's mother hugs him and tells him to visit anytime. Connor lives his days with constant reminders about what happened on that deserted rooftop, and the guilt that he should have done something to stop it.

With the help of his probation officer, Connor gets a job at a local hardware store hoping to earn the money to repay the fines and court costs his parents incurred. The work is satisfying and helps Connor with more than just money. Connor also finds relief when he resumes playing his violin. He often finds himself stopping work in the store's garden center to jot down a few bars of music that seem to express the turmoil in his mind. Basically, Connor tries to get his life back to what it once was. But is that even possible?

RICOCHET by Julie Gonzalez explores the emotional journey from tragedy to the gradual return of what might begin to pass for normal daily existence. This soul-searching, emotion-packed novel follows one young man and his family through the aftermath of one senseless act.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

4.0 out of 5 stars The subject of this book is very important for our teens., June 10, 2008

By	Deborah Sandford "Marian the Librarian" (Madison, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ricochet (Hardcover)

The bold orange cover mentally invokes a cruel, haunting, smirking Halloween jack-o-lantern. The hand of a teenage boy, bottom fingers curled, thumb cocked and forefinger pointed, with the word 'ricochet' underneath the 'barrel' implies the theme: whether or not you actually pull the trigger, you are to blame, and repercussions bounce back to you, as hard and unpredictable as a bullet's ricochet. Three boys go with Will, a local bully, to a rooftop, where he shows them a gun, and dares them to play 'idiot's roulette', a game of dare where you twist the chamber and point the gun at the next opponent. The story is told by Connor, on probation now for the death of his best friend Daniel. Will is in jail, but he could care less. What matters is Connor's life, and the horror of thinking daily about this tragedy and how it has affected his relationships with everyone in his life, from his parents and siblings, to his classmates and Daniel's mother. The story is told with flashbacks to childhood, where no one would have predicted such a horrific outcome for good kids. The reader is drawn into the sense of horror and tragedy that Connor must face, deal with and feel each waking day, and night as well.The author does a monumental job of getting inside the heads of these boys, revealing what compels them to stand defiant in front of a bully, rather than walk away, knowing but not really understanding what the outcome will bring, as well as pinning down the reactions of others in the aftermath of the tragedy. The language is archaic (why?) and the writing a bit stiff, but it's an important book to have on the shelf due to it's subject matter.