Full Ride

Gr 8 Up—When Becca's father gets arrested for embezzlement, the teen and her mother flee to a small town in Ohio in order to start their lives over in anonymity and with little money. Three years later, when it's time to apply to college, things become far more complicated. Becca's mother finally tells her that their lives have been threated by those who want to get back at her father, and that they are in constant danger. By filling out anything online, applying for scholarships, or doing any research, Becca is putting them at greater risk, and even though she desperately wants to go to college, she has to consider the consequences of so much exposure. Because this story is told from Becca's point of view, readers get inside her head and can easily sympathize with her lonely experience. Even though she makes a few good and loyal friends, she can't be honest with them. A tense, slightly claustrophobic mood is developed throughout the suspenseful story. Plot twists help to move the narrative along, but they also strain credibility at times. Still, readers who are able to overlook a few improbabilities will grab on and enjoy the ride.—Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ