Ruin Road

Gr 9 Up–Giles’s latest work serves up a cautionary tale. Cade Webster IV is a senior and star receiver at Neeson Preparatory Academy. But he bristles at the isolation and stigma of being a Black student at a wealthy and mostly white private school. Boosters brush aside his intelligence by saying he’s “well spoken,” and teammates with private planes and luxury cars are a stark contrast to Cade’s daily bus ride and the gang violence in his neighborhood. So when Cade finds himself hiding in a bizarre (if not otherworldly) pawn shop after a mistaken accusation of theft, his declaration of wishing people would stop being scared of him fits his frustrations. But what Cade soon realizes is that his wish has become an actual bargain with the pawn shop owner, and while some of the initial effects seem positive, sinister contours emerge that threaten Cade, his friends, and his family. In the foreword, Giles declares his intention to explore the twisted nature of people who profit from others’ suffering, and it is frequently on display in the book. Gang violence, online harassment, and the sinister history of antagonist Arvin Skinner are the biggest examples. But the intensity of violence at Cade’s Senior Night, while necessary for the conclusion, may disturb younger readers.