Title:  Give a Boy a Gun by  Todd Strasser, ISBN:  0-689-84922-2, Simon & Schuster, New York, 2000, $5.99, 208pp.

Genre:  Coming of age, Young Adult

Characters:  Main – Gary, Brendan, Allison, and Ryan

Plot:  Gary and Brendan were not well accepted at school.  The teasing started when they were in middle school.  By the time high school came, the two were joined by two other “outcasts” Allison and Ryan.  These four seemingly normal students were labeled as outcasts because they were not jocks.  The jocks at Middleton High School were the top dogs.  They were allowed by the teachers and administrators to torment the other kids. 

The jocks didn’t limit themselves to just Allison, Ryan, Gary, and Brendan but the four hung out a lot and spoke often of the anguish bestowed upon them by the elite.  Although there was talk of killing the jocks and anyone else who teased the four in the past, Allison and Ryan just thought it was talk.  As the years went on, the plan became more intense and finally, a date was set.  All would have gone well for the two had Allison not shown up.  She thought something was amiss when she found that one girl was asked to stay from the dance by Brendan. 

Allison shows up to find that the gym is booby-trapped to blow up if anyone tries to leave through the doors.  When the police get to the gym, two people have been shot; the jock that continued to pick on the boys and a teacher.  The jock was shot in both knees, the teacher in the chest.  Allison renders first aid to the jock. 

As the boys begin to bicker about what to do since Allison is there, another student breaks free and frees another.  After Gary kills himself, the freed people attack and beat Brendan into a coma.  He will not recover. 

Touchy Areas:  Most of the book deals with violence and guns.

Related Titles:  You Don't Know Me by David Klass;  Can't Get There from Here
by Todd Strasser;  Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn;   Bottled Up  by Jaye Murray

Movies:  Better Together

Evaluation:  This book consists of short statements, emails, and journal entries by students, parents, teachers, and administrators.  This novel also has facts about gun control and school shootings.  It depicts a realistic view of high school life.  The author adds (at the end) a declaration to readers to be kind to others and help whenever possible.  He also gives names and numbers of help centers.  This is a useful book for any parent, teacher, administrator, and student.  I would give this book 9 out of 10.

Reviewed by:  Judith Hesse, University of Toledo