Perry's Killer Playlist

Gr 9 Up—Perry's prom-night-from-hell with assassin girlfriend Gobi is barely a blur before history repeats itself. As in Schreiber's Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick (2011), each chapter in this sequel (2012, both Houghton Mifflin) is a hit song mimicking Perry's current situation, but the missing title, "If it wasn't for bad luck" by Ray Charles, is most apropos. At first it appears that Perry has finally gotten a lucky break. Recently accepted into Columbia, his band, Inchworm, has just scored a summer European gig, courtesy of his gorgeous new girlfriend Paula who works in the music industry, actually a cover for the family's illegal international arms dealing business. Paula's plan is to lure Gobi, "the best mercenary around," out of hiding, using Perry as bait, and offer her an invitation to join the family. Gobi's refusal means Perry's recently kidnapped family will die. However, Gobi has her own hit list, and Paula is a target. Perry, stuck between two hot chicks with killer looks—and killer instincts—must help Gobi. In short order, Perry's whirlwind European tour turns into a cyclone leaving a trail of exploding boats, bombed buildings, and dead bodies in its path. Narrator Steven Boyer is fabulous as Perry and more than holds his own with various foreign accents. This witty, adrenalin rush, page-turner novel is a top pick.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH