Review: Period 8 by Chris Crutcher

Last fall as I was delivering a book talk on good books to a class of high school juniors I held up a Chris Crutcher book and a boy asked, "Is that the author who writes the same book over and over again with different titles?" His comment stopped me in my tracks because lots of Chris Crutcher books are very similar or at least have very similar elements. Period 8, Crutcher's newest book, borrows some of those similar elements: swimming, cool teacher who runs a support group, parents who are troubled or abusive. But Period 8 is a very different story than his other books in an important aspect. It is a very exciting mystery/thriller which builds to a page-turning crescendo just one chapter from the end.

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. -Goodreads

Like other Chris Crutcher novels this book doesn't shy away from controversial topics and it tackles them in a thought-provoking way. This book adds the thriller element to it so the reader is left on the edge of his/her seat for the last 100 pages. I am currently on a family reunion vacation and had to excuse myself from everyone and go out to the porch to read the last few chapters. It was THAT exciting.

I'd like to encourage my readers to not only pick up and read Period 8 but consider reading all of Chris Crutcher's book.  I am host of a challenge to encourage reading this author. Chris Crutcher Challenge.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

20 / 30 books. 66.6% done!