Trouble Is a Friend of Mine

Gr 9 Up—A fast-paced story about two misfit teens working on a cold case. The same town that makes Zoe Webster wonder if she'll ever find a friend is the one that raised Philip Digby—and watched as his kid sister, Sally, disappeared years ago. Digby, as he's called, recruits newbie Princeton, his nickname for Zoe, as his accomplice, because he trusts no one else. Together they circumvent or simply break laws in the interest of finding out what happened. Breaking and entering, carrying concealed weapons, pretending to buy drugs—it's all part of uncovering the truth. There are some unfortunate stereotypes, such as "Girls in the Bronx smuggle razor blades into school in their cheeks." There are also redeeming characterizations, such as a single mother who evolves from a stereotype into a a multifaceted person; and a romance that's complicated by a handsome guy named Henry, Digby's once upon a time best friend. Readers will find a sharply drawn character in the irrepressible Zoe, who's as dubious about Digby's methods as she is curious about whether or not she can live up to his daredevilry. Many—too many—irresponsible adults try to derail Princeton and Digby from their mission: a perverted gynecologist, a cheating dad, a cult posing as next-door neighbors, to name only a few.