The Guardian

by Joyce Sweeney

Overview

Hunter has never had anyone to look out for him. His mother gave him away when he was young, he’s never known his father, and his foster mother leaves a lot to be desired in the mothering department. So when a mysterious, benevolent force suddenly starts coming to his aid, Hunter doesn’t know what to believe. Could he really have a guardian angel? Hunter so badly wants someone to care that he’s willing to take a leap of faith, and more. But when he finally learns the truth about his angel, he’ll have to decide whether it’s the best thing that ever happened to him or the worst.

This masterful pairing of suspenseful, fast-paced storytelling with genuine compassion and heart is Joyce Sweeney at her best.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504004329
Publisher:	Open Road Media
Publication date:	02/10/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	179
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	12 - 16 Years

About the Author

JOYCE SWEENEY is the author of more than a dozen novels for young adults, including the highly praised Headlock. She lives in Coral Springs, Florida,with her husband, Jay, and her cat, Phantom.

Editorial Reviews

Hunter LaSalle, 13, might as well be named Hunted: his foster mother, two of his foster sisters and the school bully are all out to get him. His best friend was his foster dad, Mike, and the story opens at Mike's funeral. But when a motorcycle roars through the burial service, Hunter can't shake the feeling that the rider is connected to a vision of the angel Gabriel that he had at age four. On impulse, Hunter prays to Gabriel for help out of a few jams and immediately good, nearly magical things start happening. Hunter wonders if this really is divine intervention or if he is losing it ("We all go crazy in different ways, I guess. Being religious is better than getting a handgun and shooting up the family, right?"). Sweeney (Headlock) solves the mystery partway through, but replaces one source of tension with another to keep the pages turning. The plotting doesn't quite pass the plausibility test, but Hunter is a sympathetic hero, and his honest narration and the plentiful action will pull readers through to the end. Ages 14-up. (Mar.)

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Publishers Weekly

Gr 7-10

Hunter LaSalle, 13, is devastated by the death of his foster father, Mike. Now he and his three foster sisters are left with their avaricious foster mother, Stephanie, who is cheap with maternal affection (particularly toward Hunter, whom she physically abuses) and exploits the children. Hunter is also bullied in school and negatively singled out by a teacher. Soon after Mike's funeral, an unseen force starts answering Hunter's altruistic and vengeful prayers. Hunter suspects it might be the angel Gabriel, leaving the boy yo-yoing between renewed faith and the possibility that he's going insane. After a violent confrontation with Stephanie, Hunter's guardian angel is (fairly predictably) revealed as Gabriel Salvatore, Hunter's spying, ex-con father. Kidnapped by Gabriel, Hunter quickly learns he's traded one dysfunctional, dangerous situation for another, and must make a choice: stay or run. This problem novel isn't light fare but is still age appropriate. Hunter's narration reveals a likable, self-aware teen starved for affection. Sweeney's prose is insightful and realistic, with cleverly delivered descriptions. The peripheral characters are believable, and the religious undercurrent supports the plot. Well-paced, and with a satisfying conclusion, this book will appeal to reluctant readers and fans of contemporary realistic fiction.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

School Library Journal

This fast-paced family drama will appeal to fans of The Rules of Survival (2006) by Nancy Werlin and The Compound (2008) by S.A. Bodeen. Thirteen-year-old Hunter feels utterly alone in a foster home, where his three "sisters" undermine his efforts to stay out of trouble and his greedy, cruel foster mother Stephanie blames him for everything. When the arrival of a motorcycle-riding stranger coincides with an unusual run of good luck for Hunter, he is tempted to believe that the man is a supernatural guardian angel sent to save him from his unhappy circumstances. But the reality is that the man is his biological father, an ex-con who wants his son back by any means necessary. In a particularly harrowing climax, the man violently confronts Stephanie and kidnaps Hunter. Terrified of being returned to his old life but unsure of his new one, Hunter has to decide if he can live with the consequences of his father's morally ambiguous actions. Suspenseful and unexpectedly tender, this short, action-packed thriller will be an easy sell to reluctant readers. (Thriller. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews

“Sweeney has convincingly channeled Hunter’s teenage angst, and readers will want to see his story, with its many twists and turns, through to the end.”—The Horn Book

“Hunter is a sympathetic hero, and his honest narration and the plentiful action will pull readers through to the end.”—Publishers Weekly

“Suspenseful and unexpectedly tender, this short, action-packed thriller will be an easy sell to reluctant readers.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Sweeney’s latest is, like many of her previous, a notable choice for reluctant readers.”—Booklist

“Well-paced, and with a satisfying conclusion, this book will appeal to reluctant readers and fans of contemporary realistic fiction.”—School Library Journal

From the Publisher