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Petrucha, Stefan
4 Reviews
(2)
YA
In 1895, after fourteen-year-old orphan and wannabe-detective Carver Young becomes the protegé of a retired Pinkerton Agency detective, he makes the shocking discovery that his father is alive--and is Jack the Ripper, now terrorizing New York. This nonstop edge-of-your-seat action story features a collection of complex secondary characters, a whip-smart narrative, and a vividly portrayed setting.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2012
(4)
YA
Using the butterfly-effect concept, the book takes a pivotal moment in Wade's life--the day his mother dies--and focuses on two different outcomes. In one world, Wade becomes an uptight workaholic; in another, a sarcastic slacker; chapters alternate between the two. While the story initially lacks direction and the premise is never clearly explained, an intriguing tension builds as the worlds start colliding.
Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey
(2)
YA
Caleb's classmates believe people's greatest desires can be theirs by "imanifesting"--visualizing a wish while chanting. Caleb thinks it's bunk, but a series of coincidences may prove him wrong. Caleb's first-person narration is often quotably funny. Many of the students' "craves" are also hilarious; others are disturbingly serious. Petrucha shows how a cult mentality can take hold of ordinary people.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2008
(4)
YA
After his parents are killed in an accident, NECorp, the manufacturer responsible for their deaths, adopts Jaiden. Being raised by "managers" instead of parents is certainly strange, but they're the only family Jaiden has. When he discovers information that could destroy the company, he struggles with what to do. The intriguing setup bolsters the slow plotting and underdeveloped characters.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
4 reviews
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