Killer Drop

by Mette Bach

Overview

Marcus has it all: charm, good looks, successful parents, endless opportunities and anything money can buy. Along with his best friend, Tom, and Tom's crush, Yasmin, he escapes to his parents' resort condo during a school trip to Whistler, B.C. And he can't refuse when drinking makes Yasmin determined to hook up with him instead of Tom. The three decide to ditch the rest of the group and ski out of bounds. And the thrill is extreme -- until Yasmin dies going over an unmarked cliff and Tom is left paraplegic. To Marcus's horror, the school decides to blame and expel Tom rather than face the power of Marcus's father and his lawyers. Can he deny his part in what happened? Or should he turn his back on his perfect life and face up to the consequences of his actions?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459410916
Publisher:	James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
Publication date:	02/12/2016
Series:	Lorimer SideStreets Series
Sold by:	De Marque
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	396 KB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

METTE BACH is the author of the Lorimer SideStreets novels Femme and Killer Drop (named a Best Book for Kids and Teens by the Canadian Children's Book Centre) and the Real Love titles Love Is Love, You're You, Cinders and Charming. She has taught ESL to high-school students and currently works at a drop-in resource centre. Mette lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Editorial Reviews

2016-07-02
Marcus has a trust fund, acceptance to an elite university, and a sense of entitlement. But when tragedy strikes, he must decide whether to risk everything for what really matters. Whether it is skiing, sex, or drinking, the white boy is all about pushing the boundaries. During the grade-12 ski trip to Whistler, Marcus convinces his Chinese-Canadian friend, Tom, a scholarship student, and the lovely Latina Yasmin (one parent is Muslim, and the other is Catholic) to ski with him out of bounds. Yasmin dies and Tom is left paralyzed. But as usual, Marcus is untouchable. His father’s response to the tragedy is to throw money at it. His mother’s is to self-medicate. Marcus, forced to confront himself, hates what he sees. In spite of its brevity, few words on a page, and simple vocabulary, this book is aimed squarely at teens. Coarse language, sex, drinking, and a frank discussion of suicide are all part of this tale. Unfortunately, while the message is good and the sense of audience on target, the delivery is poor. The tone is overly earnest, the secondary characters are static, and the plot is obvious. Further, both Marcus’ and Tom’s transformations feel simplistic and rushed. Marcus’ journey reads more like a preachy after-school special than a story of true growth out of tragedy. (Fiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews