Snatched

by Pete Hautman

Overview

From award-winning author Pete Hautman and Mary Logue comes a lively mystery series. When high school student Alicia Camden suddenly disappears, the small town of Bloodwater is in shock. And it’s up to Roni Delicata, reporter for the school newspaper The Bloodwater Pump, and her brilliant sidekick, Brian Bain, to figure out what’s going on. With suspects all around them and suspicions high, Roni and Brian risk their lives -- and a few groundings from their parents -- to get to the bottom of things. But can they find Alicia and solve the mystery before it’s too late? Full of suspense and humor, readers will love to watch the hilarious relationship between Roni and Brian as they save the day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101118030
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/10/2007
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	239 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Pete Hautman and Mary Logue both live in Golden Valley, Minnesota.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

solid marks for plotting and characterization, as well as for suspense . . . (Booklist)

Editorial Reviews

Gr 7-11-Eleventh-grader Roni Delicata is the sometimes pushy but always dedicated reporter for the school paper, Bloodwater Pump. She meets science geek Brian Bain, 14, when both are in trouble with the principal. They discover that Alicia Camden, the snooty new kid who lives in a mansion with her cold mother and bland stepfather, has been kidnapped. Through sheer force of personality, Roni involves Brian in her determination to crack the case. Could the culprit be Alicia's stepfather? Driftwood Doug? And what about Alicia's unpleasant ex-boyfriend? There are several mysteries here, and some unusual twists. The mixture of suspense and humor is effective, particularly in the interactions between complete opposites Roni and Brian. The authors are able to manage the rapid unfolding of the plot while still allowing for character development. Ultimately, straight-arrow Brian decides that while Roni can be a bit of a pain, she is also a lot of fun. This mystery will likely appeal to older reluctant readers.-B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

This lightweight whodunit stays puzzling through trickery. Brian Bain just wants to stay out of trouble for a little while, for since his last adventure in the chemistry lab he's been grounded. However, when a fellow student is kidnapped, Brian teams up with student journalist Roni to solve the mystery. Alicia, the kidnapped girl, was the victim of a brutal mugging the week before-could her disappearance be connected to the beating? Brian and Roni investigate ex-boyfriends, absent-minded adults and an island full of frightening but entertaining squatters. A reader who can see through the mystery's misdirection might solve the puzzle before Brian and Roni. A frustratingly casual treatment of child abuse mars this venture, however; a woman who's known to be responsible for a child's vicious beating strikes that child in front of the police and is not immediately restrained or ever arrested. If the story contained any condemnation of this behavior, perhaps it wouldn't be so jarring, but the characters seem more willing to condemn potential male abusers than actual female ones. (Fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews

solid marks for plotting and characterization, as well as for suspense . . . (Booklist)

From the Publisher