Review: Period 8

Period 8 by Chris Crutcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: In this full-length novel from Chris Crutcher, his first since the best-selling Deadline, the ultimate bully and the ultimate good guy tangle during Period 8.

Paul "the Bomb" Baum tells the truth. No matter what. It was something he learned at Sunday School. But telling the truth can cause problems, and not minor ones. And as Paulie discovers, finding the truth can be even more problematic. Period 8 is supposed to be that one period in high school where the truth can shine, a safe haven. Only what Paulie and Hannah (his ex-girlfriend, unfortunately) and his other classmates don't know is that the ultimate bully, the ultimate liar, is in their midst.

Terrifying, thought-provoking, and original, this novel combines all the qualities of a great thriller with the controversy, ethics, and raw emotion of a classic Crutcher story

My Thoughts: I think Chris Crutcher is a fantastic storyteller. His words always grab me within the first couple of pages and his stories build in intensity pretty steadily. This one has a good deal of mystery and a lot of guessing as to what is happening and who is doing it. I find Crutcher's books very hard to put down and this one was especially so.

I really loved the retiring teacher, Logs, as the kids called him. I wish more teachers were like him. He is the kind of teacher that genuinely cares about his students...he is the de facto voice of reason when kids don't feel like they could talk to their parents. He made himself available to his students...they knew where he lived, what his phone number was, etc.

Paulie was kind of an "every" kid. Average, he didn't stand out as the smartest, dumbest, sportiest, etc...Just a regular kid. But one with a history and strong feelings about telling the truth and admitting wrong-doing. In that way he reminded me of my son, maybe that's why I liked him so much.



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