With a plot that mirrors April Henry’s rather shallow Shock Point (February 2006), Sorrells delivers a more convincing portrait of a teen victimized by a new stepfather and placed in a school that is a virtual prison, complete with torture. Sorrells frames the story in the form of letters written by “Oz” to his dead father. Oz’s mom marries a vicious, controlling man who appears to be trying to get rid of the boy. When he sends Oz to a school for troubled youth, Oz learns that there is even more to the plan, and that not only he but all his fellow students are in mortal danger. While some plot points stretch credulity a bit, as one expects in suspense stories, nevertheless the story zooms along with real suspense and pace. Oz’s character moves toward maturity as he takes charge of his own life. This one’s a thriller that really thrills. (Fiction. YA)
