Right Behind You

Haunting

The first person I heard about this book from was Ely. And I have to give her eternal thanks for recommending it. But why has no one else read this? It came out in 2007...not that long ago. If you haven't read this, let me just start out by saying, you should. It's amazing.

The novel focuses on Kip/Wade. After his mom dies from cancer (before the book starts), he and his dad are left to live by themselves in the Alaskan bush. Kip is home schooled, he doesn't have a ton of contact with other kids, his dad isn't getting along that well financially, etc. He's a bitter guy. So when Bobby Clarke stops by to show off the fancy-looking baseball glove he got for his birthday, Kip sloshes gasoline on him and lights him on fire. Afterwards, Kip goes into a coma, doesn't talk for months, and is placed in a home for the young and mentally unstable.

It was such a great, dramatic beginning for the story. I was immediately hooked. It's not everyday that you read a book about a child murderer. It's really far out of the ordinary.

The plot twists and writing style sort of follow the lines of "shock and awe". You get all this drama, trauma, and craziness thrown in your face and you have to make of it what you will. The good part about that is that it's done in a very classy and smooth way. The events in Wade's*** life after the "incident" are all very believable and true to the real-world. Maybe the specific event that this book is based around has never happened (at least I think it hasn't), but if it did, I wouldn't find it hard to believe that what happened in this book would happen in that circumstance.

The characters, relationships, and writing add to the awesomeness even more. Wade grew and transformed throughout the book. He learned to love himself, his dad, his stepmom, and the world he lived in. I am in total awe of Gail Giles for being able to write this book through a guy's point of view and pull it off so convincingly. It worked really well.

Plus, the message of the story is really deep and intellectual.

""Here's how it goes. The ghost has the truth set out in front of him in a bowl, all ready for him to eat. And he's screaming for it, he's so hungry. But the only thing he has to eat it with is a long spoon. His arms are too short for him to get the truth into the spoon and then into his mouth. So he finds another ghost with the same problem and they sit across from each other and..."
"Feed each other," I whispered."

Yeah. That's DEEP. With all the context surrounding that passage, I got shivers when I read it.

Also, I am super glad I read this book at this point in time because for the application to get into Honors English next year, you have to write an essay on how the author of a book you read recently used a literary element to demonstrate their views on human nature. This book couldn't fit more perfectly.

So thank you soooo much to Ely for recommending this. And please, please, please read this if you haven't already. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year, hands down.


***Yes, I'm aware that the name switched. Kip=before murder, Wade=after murder.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good Book

Kip was a nine-year-old boy who murdered a kid. After about 4 years in a juvenile hall and extensive therapy he is set out into the real world with a new beginning. He has a new name (Wade), new city (Indiana), and a new step-mother (Carrie), but will this help him escape from the demons of his past? At his new school he is the star swimmer, has great friends, a cute girlfriend, and his dad and Carrie love him. But how can he go on living a lie to his friends? Nobody knows who he really is. Although life is great, he feels like he doesn't deserve it because of his past. Gail Giles does an amazing job of keeping you at the edge of your seat and you can't stop reading this book until you get to the end.

I think a lot of young teens can relate to this book. Maybe not in the murdering but in the way high school is portrayed and how one night could change the rest of your life. Wade is just a regular 14-year-old boy, hiding a big secret. I would recommend this book to any teenager.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Recommended

For me, this book started out great and just went downhill from there. I hated the ending as well as Sam's character, but I still highly recommend this book.

Excellent

I loved it. I was glued to it from cover to cover. The author (Gail Giles) does a great job of creating the personalities of the characters while surprising me time and time again. I would definetaly recommend it to anyone looking for a great young adult novel.

Great book, Bad ending

This was a really great book. I coulndnt stand to put it down. The only downside was the ending. She could have written more about how Sam reacted to Wade/Kip. Otherwise, this book was fantastic.

Wow! So good :)

Im an advid reader, and I really never read books with murder and depressing stuff..but this was great! I really felt for Kip/Wade and his struggles. And I loved the character of Sam! I would recommend this book to guys or girls! So good!! :)

I reccomend this book!

Im not much of a reader, but i have to read for school. When i found this book i was amazed. This is by far the best book i hav read so far! It is very suspenseful and will make you not want to stop reading! if you dont like to read, i still reccomend this book. Remember, i didnt lkke to read before i read this book.

A Surprise

I picked up this book randomly to read for a school project. I didn't expect to like it. In fact, I was almost positive I was going to give it back and choose a new one. How wrong I was! I read this book in two days. Kip, the main character, begins the story at nine years old and as the years progress he goes from being nine to fourteen to sixteen. I loved reading about Kip and his struggles. I found myself fighting tears of anger at the injustice of their prejudices towards him. I even found myself rooting for Kip. He was so much more than everyone thought he was. I would highly recommend this book. It's not your typical fiction and it surprised me greatly.

A Good Addiction Review

A gutting and distinctive premise combined with a strong YA voice mixed with potent writing make Right Behind You a visceral read. This book is a perfect example of the gray areas often overlooked in any violent act, something that seems on the surface horrible and the blame easy to place. Giles does a remarkable job twisting the situation, spotlighting how there are often two victims rather than one in any violent crime.

Kip remembers setting Bobby Clark on fire when he was just nine. He remembers the events leading up to the act and he remembers exactly what triggered it. On the surface, jealousy over Bobby's new baseball glove. Lurking deeper, a myriad of emotions and reasons that carry far past the basic act of dousing gasoline on a seven year old boy and throwing a lighter on him. Kip is a child on a very destructive path, one that keeps him in a state mental ward of juvenile offenders for four years. Unable to look past his own self hatred, bitterness and guilt, the reader starts the book wondering if Kip will find a way to make it past things. Yet, he does, soon transforming into Wade Madison in an effort to keep his sordid past hidden. With a chance to start over in a new state, it seems as though things will be alright.

Kip's dad is another arresting part of this book, a father who's been wrecked a few times but still pushes on. His interactions with Wade are not ones of hatred but of love, a level of emotion that is consuming at times. Carrie is equally as empowering, accepting Kip despite his past and loving him easily as her own son. Though she came into the picture after the fire, Carrie maintains a strong role throughout the book and is as memorable as Kip and his father.

Despite having a new name, Kip is still prominent, holding the strings for much of Wade's actions. His thoughts and motivations are wrenching and breaking, coming across smoothly throughout the novel. There is no lack of a connection between Wade and the reader, forged early on as the events of the fire, his subsequent comatose state then rehab are portrayed. The book is divided into three sections, each one marking a different part of Wade's life and recovery. Throughout the book, the overall mental voice and character remain, shifting subtly as Wade changes.

The plot is one of character development and understanding, an interesting twist on a coming of age type of story. The situations Wade finds himself in are played out very reasonably for the set up, particularly of a teenage boy who has been institutionalized for years and is now trying to hide it. His continued self destruction is hard to read but understandable, further strengthening the sympathy and emotion towards him.

A bold story line, stunning writing, and striking characters combine to make Right Behind You a quick but well worth it and emotional read. This is a book that will challenge a situation deemed on the surface as easy to interpret. The continued ramifications of Kip's actions, even years down the road, appear throughout the book, cropping up at unexpected times but maintaining a constant state of remembrance. Overall, this is a powerful book about a boy whose biggest enemy is himself.

Wow.

This book is among my must reads. It gives you a different perspective on things. It will broaden anyone with a narrow mind and give you things to think about. This is in no way a light read and i found myself not able to put it down.

From a High School Media Specialist

I bought this book because it was nominated for a Georgia Peach Book Award. I loved it, and more importantly, my students have loved it. It conveys a significant message to them about dealing with past mistakes, and many of them have seen much of themselves in the main character.

Outstanding Book

Right Behind You by Gail Giles is a suspenseful novel that will have one enthralled from the very beginning. It starts as nine year old Kip McFarland throws the reader into the story by announcing his dreadful situation.

Growing up in the Alaskan wilderness, Kip McFarland led a hard life as his mother died when he was very young and his father forced him to work hard every day. His situation only became worse when little Bobby Clarke came over to show off his new baseball glove. Angry, Kip dowsed the glove in gasoline and lit it on fire. His intention was to ruin the glove but instead, he took away Bobby's life. This would lead to a roller coaster life in which no person should have to endure.

The book covers Kip's stint in an Alaskan mental institution, his rebirth and screw-up in Indiana, and his search for happiness in Texas. Along the way he meets some strange charcters who sometimes help his situation but other times feed his hungry ghosts. This book is suitable for any teenager and would be great for any book report or project.

Reviewed by Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" for TeensReadToo.com

Gail Giles is the queen of psychological thrillers for teens. And I know that with her last release, I stated that WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE? was my new favorite Giles book. However, I've taken the liberty of changing my mind (yes, again!) and saying that RIGHT BEHIND YOU tops even that great read.

Kip McFarland lived in Alaska with his dad. His mother had gotten sick and died. His Aunt Jemma, his mother's sister, tried to insist that Kip's dad stop living like an animal in the wilds of Alaska, and instead move somewhere proper to raise her nephew. And then he did, because nine-year-old Kip killed Bobby Clarke by setting him on fire.

In Indiana, he was Wade Madison, and he lived with his father and stepmother, Carrie. He became best friends with Dave, a teacher's son. He had a pretty hot girlfriend, Lindsey (also known as AC, for Absolutely Cutest). He was the star of the swim team. And then he couldn't take his own happiness anymore, went slightly ballistic with a group of his friends, and admitted to murdering a child. It was time to leave Indiana.

Carrie's own stepfather had died, leaving her a house in Texas. In Texas, he was still Wade, but he wasn't the Wade from Indiana. And then he met Sam, a girl with tragic secrets of her own, and life changed yet again. He didn't want to be Wade, he wanted to be Kip. But not the Kip that the newspapers had made out to be a monster, and not even the Kip who had once been Wade who was friendly and outgoing and happy-go-lucky. All he wanted was a life that allowed him to accept what he had done without dying from the guilt.

Get a copy of RIGHT BEHIND YOU. Read it and cry, and read it and think. Kip isn't a monster, but neither is he innocent. Kip is a boy who made a costly mistake, and has been paying for it ever since. This is his story, and it's an unforgettable one.

In Love 3

O.M.G. 3 letters that discribe this book. Kyle McFarland tells his side of the story other then news reports about his biggest darkest secret he's kept from friends. Kyle was a 9-year old who set his friend on fire and was sent to a juvenile deliquent center where he learns that hes not the only one that has made mistakes in life. When kyle grows up he learns how to hide his identity,make friends, and control his emotions. I really recommend this book to people who like suspence and mysteries. I hope giles come out with part two!.

BEST BOOK EVER

This book was one of the best that I have read. It tells about Kip and how he struggles with life after he murders another child. I never got parts of it until i went back and realized that i didnt read the italisized writing before the story began...READ THAT FIRST and the entire story makes sense in the end...It is a great story of trust, guilt, forgiveness, and love...I LOVE THIS STORY!!!!

A reviewer

This book was incredeible, you get into the book from page one. The only thing I didn't like was the way it ended because it ended so abruptly, so i'm pretty sure there will be a second one BECAUSE of way it ended. I really HOPE!!!!! I've been researching all over the internet to see if there's another one. I HIGHLY reccommend this book.

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