THE DAY THE WORLD WENT AWAY

by Anne Schraff ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 1973

Thirteen high school students arrive at their small rural school as usual, only to discover none of their teachers there -- and no electricity, no communication with the outside world, and snipers to insure their isolation; when their school bus returns it is driverless and smashes. The ""teenagers'"" (an irksomely recurring phrase) speculate on possible causes of their plight, and until the source of the problem is revealed as a gang of five renegade youths motivated by drugs and despair, a modicum of suspense is maintained. After that the whole trip is downhill and the book's other faults become more evident. Determined to include representatives from almost every ethnic and/or sociological group, Schraff substitutes cliches for characterization, and the hero, an American Indian boy who is hung up on a blond neighbor (their big anticipation is ""the prom"" -- in a school of thirteen students?), is unlikely to appeal to the reluctant young adult reader at whom this series is aimed.

Pub Date: May 4, 1973

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1973

Categories: FICTION