You

Gr 8 Up—Charles Benoit's debut young adult novel (HarperTeen 2010) is told in the second person, hence the title. Listeners meet 15-year-old Kyle Chase, a smart, angry, bored slacker who is a member of his high school's "hoodies" group. The teenager is trying to find his way through a crush on a girl, his mother's constant questioning of what he is doing with his life, and the attention of some school bullies and Zack, the new kid in school whose daring escapades turn into something much more dangerous. Through David Baker's deep vocal patterns and deliberate pacing tinged with appropriate levels of judgmental undertones, listeners become Kyle Chase, once promising student and now frustrated and slightly apologetic slacker. The crafting that Benoit does to make Kyle seem at once sympathetic and infuriating is skillfully and convincingly conveyed in Baker's powerful performance that takes listeners through each decision (and indecision) that Kyle makes to bring him to an unforgettable impasse with his final choice to act on behalf of the girl he loves. This edgy, disturbing novel drives home the reality that each choice you make or do not make leads to real consequences that can be life changing.—Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public Library, NY