You Know What You Have to Do
By Joe Applegate,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Ambivalent take on teen who commits murders.
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What's the Story?
Maggie can't ignore the voice in her head that tells her to kill one bad person after another: the abusive father of her best friend, a hunter who threatens her dog, a bully who picks on a little girl. When two of Maggie's crimes are witnessed by other kids, they have to be dealth with too. Insight into her family's past -- someone else heard the same voice -- and the loss of a loved one nudge Maggie, in the end, toward redemption. But the voice doesn't go away.
Is It Any Good?
Creating a serial killer with such typical teen problems as a clueless mom and a bonehead boyfriend takes more doing than this award-winning author has come up with. Characters drop into the story as if lowered by ropes to satisfy turns in the plot. The crime scenes are strewn with clues that nobody picks up on. And is it supposed to be funny that Maggie, who has nightmares after burning someone to death, goes for counseling -- only to get a crush on her cute psychologist? Maybe that's who the writer's going for, that reader with an odd sense of humor.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the difference between having a conscience and an untamed inner voice.
Is it ever just to administer justice all by yourself?
If Maggie's mind is found to be diseased, what should be her punishment?
Book Details
- Author: Bonnie Shimko
- Genre: Horror
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Amazon Children's Publishing
- Publication date: March 26, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 230
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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