Masked

Gr 8—11—McClintock tells the story of a convenience-store robbery through the eyes of the store owner and his daughter, Rosie; the mystery shopper, who is another teen from the neighborhood; the gunman, Leon, who is Rosie's ex-boyfriend; and Corey, Rosie's boyfriend. There is suspense to keep reluctant readers interested, and there is enough backstory to flesh out the characters, at least a bit. One nice surprise is the lack of foul language, even though an armed crime is taking place. Of course, secrets are revealed, and Leon's tale is particularly tragic. Unfortunately, Rosie garners no sympathy; she is a selfish girl who only dated Leon until Corey "came back" from cheating on her. She has lied and manipulated him and acts surprised at what he has done. Corey is despicable, with no redeeming qualities, at least in this story. This seems more like an introduction than a fleshed-out novel.—Robin Henry, Wakeland High School, Frisco, TX