Look Past

by Eric Devine

Overview

Someone brutally murdered Mary Mathison, daughter of a prominent and very conservative local pastor, and Avery, a transgender boy who loved Mary, is bent on finding her killer. He goes to the crime scene to do some investigating, but is quickly put in harm's way. Reluctantly, Avery must move to the sidelines to wait for the police to do their job.

However, following Mary's funeral, Avery receives the first in a series of disturbing text messages that can only come from the killer, revealing that Avery is now a target. The killer claims that Mary's murder was revenge for her relationship with Avery. The killer's demands are simple and horrific: Avery must repent for changing his gender identity, or he will be the next one killed.

Now Avery is torn between finding the murderer and protecting himself from a killer who is playing a disturbing cat-and-mouse game. Can Avery deny who he is to catch Mary's killer? Or will sacrificing himself be the ultimate betrayal?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762459216
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Eric Devine is a writer, high school English teacher, and educational consultant. He is the author of Tap Out, Dare Me, and Press Play. He lives in Waterford, NY with his family.

Editorial Reviews

A solid serial-killer thriller for horror fans who'd like to root for the queer kid."
—Kirkus Reviews

“Devine has written an edgy and timely thriller that readers won't want to put down”
—BookList

"Look Past is a disturbing, evocative look at hatred, identity, and violence that will leave you torn between wanting to look away and a desperate desire to keep reading."
—Brian Katcher, winner of 2011 Stonewall for Almost Perfect

"Look Past is a look on the inside of the daily battles of a trans person intertwined with a horrific violent crime stemming from hate and the passion from religious beliefs."
—Arin Andrews, author of Some Assembly Required

“Shocking and achingly compelling, Look Past brings us to the edge of our seat.”
—Bridget Birdsall, author of the Lambda Award nominated Double Exposure

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From the Publisher

10/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—Avery is gutted when Mary, the first person to truly accept him as transgender, is brutally murdered. He's barely had time to process his grief when the killer begins sending him grotesque messages threatening that Avery will be the next victim if he doesn't atone for being transgender and start presenting as female. The protagonist's supportive girlfriend and BFF have his back, and they use their combined interest in amateur forensics to help solve this whodunit. Unusual for this genre, Avery is comfortable going to his parents and the police for assistance, which the adults provide. While it's refreshing to read a novel about a transgender teen where gender identity isn't the sole focus, Avery's overall characterization feels slight and the secondary characters fail to develop beyond their initial stereotypes, particularly the saintly girlfriend and best friend. This book contains strong language, and Avery's interest in forensics leads to graphic descriptions of Mary's mutilations. VERDICT This will appeal to readers seeking titles with LGBTQ protagonists, but the pacing may be too slow for fans of teen thrillers.—Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library, Canada

School Library Journal

2016-08-02
Sweet, popular Mary, the pastor's daughter, has been viciously murdered, and the killer makes it clear that it's because of her relationship with Avery, a transgender boy. The killer is taunting Avery, and his girlfriend, Beth, and best friend Charlie feel pressure from their parents to stay away from him to keep safe. Avery's strong, supportive family, including his uncle Tom, a cop, shield him from the worst cruelty a small town can press on a trans boy, but when the killer demands that Avery de-transition and dress like a girl, even his biggest advocates can't see a better way to keep him safe. In addition to delivering a tense, fast-paced thriller, Devine has done a solid job of writing a teenage trans boy, dealing successfully with dysphoria, the flood of feelings when someone sees one’s true self, even the niggling self-doubt that can cast a shadow on even the most loving relationships when gender issues arise. Avery feels true. But there is horrific violence employed to bring home the point that trans people are more likely to be the victims of sadistic predators than to be predators themselves. While writing tragedy for queer (all-white) characters to teach a lesson has become a trope, Devine sidesteps the usual benevolent cis hero and lets Avery address his own problems head-on and be his own hero. A solid serial-killer thriller for horror fans who'd like to root for the queer kid. (Thriller. 13 & up)

Kirkus Review

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