Sketchy Behavior

Gr 6—9—Kate Cater, 16, is unwittingly thrust into the middle of a murder investigation when a sketching assignment makes her the target of a serial killer. Kate's art teacher invites a local police officer into the classroom to talk about the career of a forensic artist and asks her students to give the occupation a try by sketching the portrait of a man currently wanted for murder. Kate's superior "practice" sketch is leaked to the media, along with her name, and she quickly becomes the murderer's new target. During her ordeal, Kate begins to question her faith as she ponders the role God plays in the big picture. The book's pacing is sometimes uneven; the story moves slowly when Kate is stuck at home with her bodyguards, but readers will fly through the scenes where the bad guys are pursuing her. Despite its occasional flaws, the novel is worth adding to collections in which there is strong reader demand for contemporary Christian fiction.—Lindsay Cesari, Baldwinsville School District, NY