Synopsis
Martin and his family are enjoying a sun-filled vacation on a beautiful Caribbean island--until they are stopped at gunpoint, blindfolded, and bundled into a truck that heads for the dense forest of the island's interior. Pushed to their physical and emotional limits as they are forced deeper into the wild terrain, the hostages come to understand something of the harsh political backdrop of life on sunny Santa Clara, and the events that have shaped the lives of their captors and fueled their actions.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Tom Pow is the author of four books of poetry, three radio plays, a travel book about Peru, three picture books, and two previous novels for young adults, Scabbit Isle, and The Pack, the latter published by Roaring Brook Press in Spring, 2006. It is currently receiving exceptional reviews, including a starred one in Booklist that called it "Unforgettable...truly an edge-of-the-chair read." He lives in Dumfries, Scotland.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–Teenage Martin, son of Tony and Carol, watches his dad being interviewed on TV about the book Tony has written. It is based on journals he kept when his family and another couple and their teenage daughter, Louise, were held captive by antigovernment rebels while vacationing in the Caribbean. Now, following a violent rescue that resulted in Louise's death, Tony is accused of exploiting this tragedy for profit. Martin revisits the experience by reading the published journal (Part I). He then fills in the gaps with the many details that his father missed, which makes up Part II. With a Lost-like cover and this exciting premise, the book might have some appeal. But the story, mostly told in a third-person omniscient voice, is disjointed. Chunks of backstory about Tony and Carol's second son, Nick, seem irrelevant. The kidnappers' pasts, while vividly described, are too abbreviated to carry much emotional weight. Martin ineffectually lusts for Louise, but she develops a sexual relationship with Eduardo, one of the kidnappers. But here again, the heat just isn't on the page. One gets the general idea, but stereotypes of a rapacious dictator supported by a corrupt American corporation, vagueness about key relationships, and discomfiting shifts in perspective dilute the novel's power.–Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
