Final Touch (The Rayne Tour, Book 3)

Gr 8—10—The series concludes in this novel with the promise of a fairy-tale ending: Shaley's mom, a famous rock star, is preparing to marry her high school sweetheart, Gary Donovan, who is the teen's father. After many years apart, the couple was reunited. The wedding day dawns, and things run smoothly until Shaley is abducted by a stalker recently released from prison. The majority of the novel follows her attempts to escape. The narration switches between Shaley's account of the ordeal and a third-person account of the family's response. This format maintains suspense and creates quick pacing likely to entice reluctant readers. The writing is clunky at times, and the novel's religious themes sometimes feel heavy-handed. Students who appreciate a good thriller will likely forgive these flaws, though, and breeze through this page-turner.—Lindsay Cesari, Baldwinsville School District, NY