The Imposter - Softcover

Blackwood, Gary

Softcover

ISBN 10: 088995478X ISBN 13: 9780889954786

Publisher: Red Deer Press, 2012

Synopsis

At 14 years old, Ryan Waite is not a bad actor -- in fact he’s quite a good one. Good enough to have had several years’ experience on various stages of Toronto, where he lives with his mother. When Ryan messes up an audition for a part in Les Miz, he makes contact with a bulky character named Burton who launches the boy into the most challenging role of his lifetime. Burton turns out to be a private investigator who’s out to make some big money through arranging for Ryan to impersonate a boy who is the long-lost son of a millionaire desperate to re-establish the relationship with his son before he dies. Suddenly Ryan finds himself performing a part considerably beyond his depth, having to improvise emotions and understandings and make up complicated lies just in order to stay ahead of the game.Ryan knows discovery is inevitable and when the moment arrives, he has to dig deep to find the most graceful and honourable way of making his exit.

About this title

About the Author:

Gary Blackwood, born on October 23, 1945 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, is an American author of popular books for young readers including The Shakespeare Stealer, Shakespeare's Scribe, and Shakespeare's Spy.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 7-10-In Toronto during the 1990s, 14-year-old Ryan Waite and his alcoholic mom scrape by on the dole while awaiting his big break as an actor. He bombs an audition and is afraid to tell his mother when a shifty deal with a private investigator provides a way out. Ryan is hired to pretend to be the son of a wealthy man who is desperate to reconnect before he dies. With no Internet or Facebook to prove otherwise, Ryan passes himself off as Allen, the long-lost son. He doesn't expect to actually care about this new family in Halifax. The protagonist is a likable character, although he is rather naive. A day of reckoning will surely come, and when it does Ryan must confront his feelings and actions. The theme of maturing and developing empathy is evident in this somewhat pedestrian coming-of-age story.-Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Red Deer Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 088995478X
• ISBN 13: 9780889954786
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 199