Skud ****

Foon, Dennis. Skud. Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, 2003.

What a great book. The cover artwork is very interesting and will draw readers in immediately. The story inside won't disappoint either!

Tommy is an honor student, and a model citizen; deep inside, however, he has a hard time controlling his anger. His current problem is Sheila, his girlfriend, who has dumped him. He is angry at her, but moreso at Andy, who he thinks she is now seeing. Tommy invites Andy to a fight after school. Andy is in the drama club and a bit of a dork. He wants to be an actor and spends a lot of time going to auditions. His mother is somewhat disapproving of him overall, and his father is dead. Brad is a hockey player that is stuck on steroids. He uses the steroids to bulk up. He is Tommy's best friend and his back-up in the fight. During the fight Shane inexplicably comes to Andy's rescue and ends the fight. Shane is huge, and was a part of a big gang that is very violent. Andy has no idea why he would want to help him. They strike up an unlikely friendship. Each boy has inner demons he is fighting and they all come to a head at the climax of the book.

This is a great book for male readers. First of all, it is told from the perspective of 4 different people, so it keeps things interesting. It is a great book, reading about 4 people that all have problems and how their lives all seem to intersect at the same time. Recommended highly for male readers.