Morgenroth, Kate. Jude.

MORGENROTH, Kate. Jude. Simon & Schuster, Pulse. 394p. c2004. 1-4169-1267-3. $5.99. SA

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, November 2004: We first meet Jude at age 15, at the scene of his drug-dealing father's murder--a murder the police suspect he committed. Fearful for his own life, Jude refuses to tell who the murderer really is. Jude's mother, whom he never knew because his father had kidnapped him as a baby, turns out to be the district attorney. Their reunion works out well at first, as Jude's mother protects him from the police and takes him home to live with her and her boyfriend. But when one of Jude's classmates overdoses on heroin and Jude is accused of procuring the drug for him, his mother's boyfriend gives him bad advice--intentionally, Jude eventually discovers to his horror--and Jude, though innocent, is sent to prison, with his mother believing that he is guilty. At first Jude is so angry he earns the nickname "Duck," meaning, "watch out!" because he fights so viciously. Then, frightened by his own fury, Jude turns his energies to obtaining an education while in jail and finally gets out after years of incarceration, determined to prove his innocence to his mother and to bring down her treacherous boyfriend.

Morgenroth, the author of two thrillers for adults, writes an engrossing, well-plotted tale with a sympathetic main character, though the use of the third person puts the reader at something of an emotional remove from Jude. Some readers may skim over the many legal details but most will be riveted by the prison scenes and by Jude's tragic situation. Some strong language and violence make this appropriate for mature readers only. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.