The Escape

Gr 8 Up—The day after popular Adam Marshall goes for a hike with loner Fletcher Carroll, the Dan River Falls police department receives a call that the two boys have vanished. Avery Templeton, daughter of the police chief, volunteers to help with a search of the local woods. Although she knows she shouldn't stray from the path, when she does, Avery finds a bruised and bloody Fletcher with no memory of the events of the previous day and no idea where Adam could be. The rumor at Dan River Falls High School is that Fletcher is guilty of murder, but Avery, who is spending more time with him, is determined to prove his innocence. Told from the viewpoints of Fletcher and Avery, this mystery is entertaining but lacks depth. Flashbacks add to the even pacing the work: as Fletcher's memories slowly reveal what happened on the hike, suspense builds, and readers begin to see potentially interesting layers to the boy's personality. But a new side of the teen is never quite revealed, and Avery remains frustratingly static; at times, her knowledge of police lingo and murder investigative procedure is more interesting than her thoughts or her actions. As it is, Avery complements Fletcher, and the dynamic between the two helps to keep readers interested.