TRUST NO ONE

A teen goes on the run after being caught up in the aftermath of a crime he didn’t commit.

Ben Hamer is used to being treated differently because his father is in jail; the local police hassle him for behavior they ignore from other kids. So he’s stunned when new girl Abigail asks him out. They have a great time going mudding in a field on their date, but then they make a stop so Abigail can run an errand—which turns out to be robbing a liquor store, with Ben as the unwitting getaway driver. Abigail leaves him to take responsibility for the crime, and Ben goes on the run, managing to keep himself relatively safe, despite a dumpster encounter with a particularly aggressive raccoon. But the police are on his trail, and he eventually has to trust his best friend, Nick, and a sympathetic young officer in order to bring his ordeal to an end. When Ben finds out what Abigail was going to use the stolen money for, he gains perspective on her situation and turns the ordeal into something positive. This action-packed novel for reluctant readers features a sympathetic protagonist facing realistic issues and learning to rely on people who care about him. Most characters present white, and the police officer is of Chinese descent.

An accessible, fast-paced work exploring themes of friendship and loyalty.