Haze

Gr 7–10—Tenth-grader Bram attends prestigious Strathmore Academy on a swimming scholarship. Most of his teammates are wealthy, with the exception of Jeremy, a senior from Bram's hometown, Storrs. New team members are being hazed by upperclassmen. The book opens with Bram swimming in the pool while wearing a diaper and being called "pond scum." He discovers that Jeremy knows the truth about what happened the night a team member died years earlier. Jeremy also has proof that may ruin their highly regarded coach's career. He warns Bram to watch his back and not go to the big initiation party, but Jeremy is severely injured in a hit-and-run right before they planned to have another secret conversation. At first, Bram believes it was an accident but after details start to surface, he has to figure out whom to trust. As the tension escalates, Bram is trapped in a sauna and Jeremy's sister, Abby, goes missing. He escapes, and they end up together and are soon fighting for their lives and hoping to get the truth out. The plot may be a tad far-fetched with its tidy ending, but readers will root for Bram and Abby.—Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY