Nickel Plated

Gr 8—10—Twelve-year-old Nickel ran away when he was 10, after his newest set of foster parents took him to a secret room and made him perform with a younger girl while they videotaped the show. Since then he's been living on his own, selling pot to high school students and blackmailing pedophiles to earn a living. He's also a private investigator, working free for kids but charging adults. His newest client is 14-year-old Arrow. Her sister is missing. The police and her parents believe that Shelby ran away but Arrow thinks differently. She wants Nickel to do what the police won't: find her and bring her home. It's a case that hits home for Nickel, though he believes Shelby is probably already dead…or worse. This dark tale of crime and sordid lives is very readable. Nickel is a resourceful 12-year-old with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Constantly aware of his precarious position in life, he tries to get by any way he can and do some good while he's at it. Unfortunately, the disparity between the age of the character and the very mature world in which he lives makes it difficult to determine an audience for this novel.—Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL