McNeal, Laura & Tom. Zipped.McNEAL, Laura & Tom. Zipped. Random House, Knopf. 283p. c2003. 0-375-83098-7 $8.95. JS* To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, January 2003: The McNeal husband-and-wife writing team won a lot of praise for their first YA novel, Crooked crook·ed adj. 1. Having or marked by bends, curves, or angles. 2. Informal Dishonest or unscrupulous; fraudulent. crook . Each is an accomplished writer, and Laura has also taught English in middle school and high school in addition to being a journalist. This background is evident in Zipped, with frequent allusions to literary works that typical high school students would recognize, with a challenging plot and theme, and with well-developed characters who are articulate and thoughtful. The narrative is in the third person, and the point of view shifts among several characters--Mick, Lisa, Maurice, and Janice, with many chapters. Details of plot, numerous characters, thoughts and feelings are zipped together to make one cohesive cohesive, n the capability to cohere or stick together to form a mass. story, and it seems clear that the authors are making that classic point that everything is connected--everything is zipped together. We may not see how at first, or in the middle of the story; but in the end the connection is clear. The story line is difficult to summarize sum·ma·rize intr. & tr.v. sum·ma·rized, sum·ma·riz·ing, sum·ma·riz·es To make a summary or make a summary of. sum concisely, but here are several main elements to the story: Mick has discovered that his adored a·dore v. a·dored, a·dor·ing, a·dores v.tr. 1. To worship as God or a god. 2. To regard with deep, often rapturous love. See Synonyms at revere1. 3. and attractive stepmother is having an affair and his home life and emotional security are threatened; Mick has a crush on a classmate, Lisa, but also has a friendship with a most attractive college student who is trying to escape from her own demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. ; Lisa is a Mormon who is attracted to a young Mormon missionary living in the area, but her friendship with Mick is growing and developing into something more romantic; Mick and Lisa work for a disturbed person, Maurice, who is having a love affair with Lisa's best friend Janice. Themes of good and evil and the gray zone in between, of betrayal Betrayal See also Treachery. Judas Iscariot apostle who betrays Jesus. [N.T.: Matthew 26:15] Proteus though engaged, steals his friend Valentine’s beloved, reveals his plot and effects his banishment. [Br. , of forgiveness, of love, of tolerance, abound. The McNeals have given YA readers a challenging YA novel, with a strange little figure of a baby devil on the cover. Claire Rosser, KLIATT J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. S--Recommended for senior high school students. *--The asterisk (1) See Asterisk PBX. (2) In programming, the asterisk or "star" symbol (*) means multiplication. For example, 10 * 7 means 10 multiplied by 7. The * is also a key on computer keypads for entering expressions using multiplication. highlights exceptional books. |
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