Synopses & Reviews
andlt;bigandgt;andlt;bandgt;In the middle of the night Garrett is taken from his home to Harmony Lake, a boot camp for troubled teens.andlt;/bandgt;andlt;/bigandgt; Maybe some kids deserve to be sent there, but Garrett knows he doesn't. Subjected to brutal physical and psychological abuse, he tries to fight back, but the battle is futile. He won't be allowed to leave until he's admitted his "mistakes" and conformed to Harmony Lake's standards of behavior. And there's no way to fake it. Beaten, humiliated, and stripped of his pride, Garrett's spirit is slowly ebbing away. Then he hears whispers of an escape plot. It's incredibly risky -- if he's caught, the consequences will be unthinkable -- but it may be his only way out. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; In this tense, riveting novel, award-winning YA author Todd Strasser reveals what really goes on in highly secretive -- and notoriously dangerous -- boot camps, a stealth prison system where any teenager under the age of eighteen can be imprisoned at his parents' whim.
Review
"Teens, especially boys, will be riveted...the novel is a real eye-opener."—KLIATT
Review
"Strasser creates characters who will provoke a strong reaction from readers....Teens...will certainly find themselves engrossed in this fast-paced and revealing story about the hidden side of teen incarceration."—School Library Journal
Review
"Strasser offers no easy answers, and nimbly navigates a host of moral gray areas."—Publishers Weekly
Review
"The real-world issues will hit a nerve."—Booklist
Synopsis
In the middle of the night Garrett is taken from his home to Harmony Lake, a boot camp for troubled teens. Maybe some kids deserve to be sent there, but Garrett knows he doesn't. Subjected to brutal physical and psychological abuse, he tries to fight back, but the battle is futile. He won't be allowed to leave until he's admitted his mistakes and conformed to Harmony Lake's standards of behavior. And there's no way to fake it. Beaten, humiliated, and stripped of his pride, Garrett's spirit is slowly ebbing away. Then he hears whispers of an escape plot. It's incredibly risky -- if he's caught, the consequences will be unthinkable -- but it may be his only way out.
In this tense, riveting novel, award-winning YA author Todd Strasser reveals what really goes on in highly secretive -- and notoriously dangerous -- boot camps, a stealth prison system where any teenager under the age of eighteen can be imprisoned at his parents' whim.
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Garrett is kidnapped and sent to a disciplinary boot camp, where he is subjected to physical and psychological abuse. Award-winning author Strasser offers a sobering glimpse at what really goes on behind closed doors.
Synopsis
Danny Lopez is new in town. He made a mistake back home in Las Vegas, and now he has landed at an experimental school in Colorado for “tough cases.” At the Cobalt Charter School, everything is scripted—what the teachers say, what the students reply—and no other speaking is allowed. This supercontrolled environment gives kids a second chance to make something of themselves. But with few freedoms, the students become sitting ducks for a killer determined to “clean up” Colorado Springs.
About the Author
Todd Strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the award-winning andlt;iandgt;Canand#8217;t Get There from Hereandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Give a Boy a Gunandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Boot Campandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;If I Grow Upandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Famousandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;How I Created My Perfect Prom Dateandlt;/iandgt;, which became the Fox feature film andlt;iandgt;Drive Me Crazyandlt;/iandgt;. Todd lives in a suburb of New York and speaks frequently at schools. Visit him at ToddStrasser.com.