Schrieber,
Joe. Au Revoir Crazy European Chick. HoughtonMifflin/Clarion/Graphia/Kingfisher,
2011. 190p. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-57738-8 hs (Grades 9-12) Mystery/Detective VG-BN
Perry is interning at a law
firm at his father’s insistence in order to nab a college recommendation. But Perry prefers to jam with his band and is
bummed when his parents insist he take a quiet, unattractive foreign exchange
student, Gobi, to the prom instead of performing with his band. When students at the prom insult Gobi, Perry
punches the worst offender. As Gobi
emerges from the free-for-all, she suddenly turns into a sleek beauty pulling
Perry toward his father’s Jaguar and insisting he drive to NYC. Along the way, Perry realizes Gobi has
targeted five individuals believed to be responsible for her sister’s
death. Even Perry’s family is not safe
from Gobi. Armed with many weapons, Gobi
has an ability to deftly deflect attention when guns blaze and bombs go off,
while holding Perry hostage and insisting he be her “get away” man. Perry becomes less naive as the killings
continue, and he learns to stand up for his interests.
Suspend your disbelief and
rocket along on prom night in a five-stop tour of death. This story has nonstop action with a hint of
humor. A creative ending signals
continued adventures for Perry and Gobi in the future. Quirky chapter titles that are based on
typical college essay questions foretell the upcoming action and provoke laughter.
The book cover is a map of NYC that
spotlights the target sites so readers can keep up with the mayhem in the
story. It's too bad that the book jacket
may turn off male readers, as this is really a great guy read. Schrieber’s first YA novel is a tour de force
that will appeal to all YA readers. Subject:
Assassins -- Fiction Lois
McNicol
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