cover image Crash Course

Crash Course

Nicole Davidson. HarperCollins Publishers, $3.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-380-75964-4

Kelly Peterson and seven other high school students have enrolled in an intensive SAT course, to be held at a secluded cabin during Thanksgiving vacation. Tragedy strikes on the first night of their trip when Brian Lopez, Kelly's closest friend, drowns in a nearby lake. Brian's longtime (and possessive) girlfriend, Paula, had been with him, and claims he died from a struggle with an unknown assailant. When their teacher goes in search of help but doesn't return, the group is convinced that a madman must be stalking the area, waiting to pounce on his next victim. The book's main flaw is that not much happens until its midpoint, and readers expecting an action-packed thriller won't have the patience to sit through this drawn out story. (They'll also see through the author's manipulative ploy of casting suspicion on most of the characters.) In addition, the setting is contrived: it's highly unlikely that any school would sanction a retreat 10 miles from a telephone or any transportation. Davidson's effort pales in comparison to others in this genre. Ages 12-up. (July)