TAKERS AND RETURNERS

by Carol Beach York ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1973

The game of ""takers and returners"" consists of stealing something from the grownups and then returning the object without being caught, and while thirteen year-old Ellen is uneasy about the idea from the first, she allows herself to be bullied by her older cousin Jason into escalating the contest to dangerous proportions. Her real problem begins when Jason steals a neighbor's car which no one on Ellen's team knows how to drive well enough to return. Though we never see enough of Jason to be sure exactly why he pushes the game to a disastrous conclusion, the increasing seriousness of the teams' pranks build up a momentum that makes Ellen's fear and guilt very convincing. Slight on characterization and atmosphere, Takers and Returners nevertheless accurately and suspensefully demonstrates the dynamics of a dare.

Pub Date: March 1, 1973

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Nelson

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1973

Categories: FICTION