The Shadow Club - Softcover

Shusterman, Neal

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142300942 ISBN 13: 9780142300947

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2002

Synopsis

The Shadow Club starts simply enough: the kids who are tired of being second-best get together and, for the first time, talk about how they feel. But soon the members decide to play practical jokes on the first-place winners they envy, and things begin to spin dangerously out of control.

"This is a provocative novel . . . The plot is ingeniously simple and the course of events compelling. Brisk enough to snag a popular audience, but forceful in impact, it will leave readers thinking." (Booklist, starred review)

About this title

About the Author:

Neal Shusterman is an award-winning author and screenwriter.  He lives in Southern California with his four children.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 8 Up A group of competitive high-school students, all second best in their areas of talent, form a secret club in order to pull anonymous practical jokes on their rivals. The pranks, which at first are humiliating but harmless, escalate to the point that they result in vandalism and injury and nearly cause a student's death. Shusterman's focus is on how the actions of these teens create a power that feeds on a previously hidden cruel or evil side of their personalities. This is strong material, and sections of the book have a punch that matches the subject. The dialogue of the teens, their concerns, and especially their feelings, are on target. Unfortunately, most of the book lacks suspense. The club members believe that an unpopular student who has eavesdropped on them is responsible for some of the more vicious pranks, but this is such an obvious red herring that the drama of the situation is lost. This book is neither as complex nor as well written as Robert Cormier's novels, but as its premise and tone hold interest, The Shadow Club may appeal to Cormier's fans and those readers who are not yet ready for his books. David Gale, ``School Library Journal''
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0142300942
• ISBN 13: 9780142300947
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 224