Vintage

PERIOD 8 by Chris Crutcher. Greenwillow, April 2013.

A new book by Chris Crutcher is always cause for celebration. Teens will find much to love in his latest offering, PERIOD 8. Meet Paulie. He's basically a good guy. But he has just messed up big time. When Paulie tells his girlfriend Hannah he has cheated on her, he hopes she will at least hear him out. has no intent to hear more from Paulie and storms off. Thankfully, Paulie has someone else to turn to for advice. His teacher Mr. Logsdon (Logs to all) is always there to listen. And then there is Period 8 when the whole class can speak their minds without fear of betrayal. Of course, there is much more to the story than one teen being unfaithful to his girlfriend. Life is more complicated than that, after all. And Crutcher has put this book on steroids (his own words, not mine) as it shines light into some pretty dark places. Mystery, politics, and more play a role in this fast paced thriller, sports story, novel about being friends. What does it mean to be fully human? What is truth? Does anyone know how to tell the unvarnished truth? Should they? Lots of questions. Crutcher leaves the reader to provide the answers. <611>