CHASER

Chase Riley, 14, is suffering from culture shock. Having moved from the city to the country only 60 miles away, Chase has trouble filling up his “Top Ten Reasons to Move to the Country” list, but he has plenty of reasons to move back to the city. He’s plagued by cicadas, appalled at the mice sharing his house, and outraged at the hunters who shoot his dog. While carrying out his own style of revenge on the hunters, Chase maintains contacts with old friends via E-mail, using the name ChaseR. This correspondence eases his transition as he finds his way in this alien country world. He goes to the Millersburg Corn Festival, makes his way in a new school, and begins to find friends. This modern concept of a novel in E-mails works surprisingly well. The voice is fresh and upbeat, precocious and irreverent. Readers witness Chase’s growth from self-absorbed, introverted computer addict to a young man who begins to notice the world around him. He begins to see the poverty his neighbors and friends face, and he starts to care about them. The building of a new bedroom over the garage, with help from family and friends, is emblematic of the new direction in Chase’s life. That this moral growth can be shown through one character’s E-mails is a testament to the author’s skill and restraint. The format works naturally to develop the theme, and the story is developed with a light touch. Teenagers attracted by the format will find themselves in a good, satisfying story. (Fiction. 12+)