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Griffin, Paul
7 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Lorenzo Ventura's sixth-grade year is hard: his mom struggles to save their peach orchard; his grandfather faces health problems; his best friend goes away to camp; and, worst of all, questions about his soldier dad's death still fester. But Renzo's adopted pet pig, Marty, sustains him through these challenges. Renzo's determination to keep Marty after an accident leads to satisfying surprises in this poignant, ultimately hopeful story.
Reviewer: Gail Hedges
(3)
4-6
When Ben's adoptive mother dies, he moves in with his aunt and abusive uncle; canine companion Flip offers comfort, as does Halley, a girl with terminal cancer. Though it's obviously a tearjerker, the book's characters feel real through plenty of ordinary, often funny moments. Frequent shout-outs to books, as well as a story Ben and Halley write together, add particular appeal for literary preteens.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
(2)
YA
Matt and John meet wealthy Portuguese teens Driana, Stef, and JoJo in Montauk. Stef impulsively decides on a little midnight windsurfing; the others borrow a poorly maintained motorboat to bring her back to shore. A string of mishaps turns this into a marine variant on the classic wilderness survival adventure. As tensions rise, the teens' backstories are seamlessly woven into the plot.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2015
(2)
YA
Returning to high school after two years of self-imposed homeschooling exile, Jay vows to use his superior computer hacking skills to solve the savage crime of who threw the acid that burned off half of classmate Nicole Castro's face. Griffin teases out various motives and sets up red herrings in this suspenseful mystery with elements of romance, high school dynamics, and teenage angst.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2012
(1)
YA
She's a bright student, he's a high school dropout; her family is loving, while his dad is abusive. Despite apparent differences, fifteen-year-olds Céce and Mack fall in love. Their romance is cut short when volatile Mack makes an impetuous decision. Griffin subtly maintains a level of optimism in this painful story, creating in readers a mixture of emotions that won't soon leave them.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2012
(3)
YA
This brutally realistic novel follows the fortunes of three young people on the fringes of their Bronx housing project: a hearing-impaired student, an illegal immigrant artist, and a tortured veteran. Hints of the violence to come appear from the very first page; nonetheless, readers will still be surprised by the disturbing but absorbing novel's relentlessly intense events.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(3)
YA
Big, book-smart Ray takes his orders from trash-talking José. The two are teenage runaways, in and out of foster care and juvenile facilities for petty crimes. About to go straight, they pull one last theft, which goes awry. The story's unflinching depiction of teenage street life is tough and gritty, with a glimmer of hope for Ray at the end.
Reviewer: David Elzey
7 reviews
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