Save the Enemy

Gr 9 Up—Part mystery-thriller, part coming-of-age tale, and part romance with a pinch of the paranormal, this debut novel doesn't seem to quite know what it wants to be. When Zoey Trask's father is kidnapped, the 17-year-old must find something called a "J-File" and hand it over to whomever has her father in custody. Her autistic younger brother, Ben, claims that their murdered mother is speaking to him in his dreams. He begins writing down a code of names and addresses that may be the key to finding their father. Then there's the mysterious love interest. Even though they barely know each other, Pete refuses to leave Zoey's side throughout the book. Unfortunately, while she periodically comments on his odd behavior, her hormones overshadow her suspicions. Zoey is a self-deprecating and reasonably likable character, but she doesn't quite come off sounding like a real teen. Too many SAT-type words feel randomly sprinkled in and may turn off some more reluctant readers. While most teen thrillers require some suspension of disbelief, there are just too many convenient plot elements here to make this one a true success. The pacing is decent and the story has potential but overall it is just too convoluted.—Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH