Desert CrossingBy: Elise Broach
*Most appropriate for mature strong 7th grade readers and grades 8 +
Fourteen year old Lucy, her eighteen year old brother Jamie and his friend Kit are driving from Kansas to Phoenix to spend time with the father for Spring Break when an unexpected bump in the road takes a grisly turn for the worse.
While driving through a blinding rainstorm in the New Mexico desert the three teens hit something in the road. After turning back to investigate what they think was a coyote they are sickened to find a teen aged girl dead on the side of the road. They reach out to the nearest neighbor, Beth, a thirty-something artist that lives alone to help them contact the authorities. As the investigation progresses Jamie is riddled with guilt that he caused the girl’s death and finds comfort in the arms of Beth and the two begin a May-December romance. The three teens are eventually cleared of any wrong doing but because of Jamie’s new found feelings for Beth they decide to stay a little longer. While Jamie and Beth are occupied with their new found affair, Lucy is determined to solve the crime and find the girls murderer. As she and Kit begin a love/hate flirtation she persuades him to help her investigate the death of the girl on their own.
The encompassing mystery is full of suspense and is a real page turner. I did feel that the relationship between Jamie and Beth was a little quick moving for the feelings they claimed to have developed for one another. I was also a little irritated at the on again/off again love/hate flirtation between Lucy and Kit but I secretly hoped that he would redeem himself and they would end up together. While the two developing relationships were subplots to the mystery they were very insightful as to the things we do and the people we turn to in times of stress, grief, and fear. Overall this was a great read for young adults.
*Most appropriate for mature strong 7th grade readers and grades 8 +
Fourteen year old Lucy, her eighteen year old brother Jamie and his friend Kit are driving from Kansas to Phoenix to spend time with the father for Spring Break when an unexpected bump in the road takes a grisly turn for the worse.
While driving through a blinding rainstorm in the New Mexico desert the three teens hit something in the road. After turning back to investigate what they think was a coyote they are sickened to find a teen aged girl dead on the side of the road. They reach out to the nearest neighbor, Beth, a thirty-something artist that lives alone to help them contact the authorities. As the investigation progresses Jamie is riddled with guilt that he caused the girl’s death and finds comfort in the arms of Beth and the two begin a May-December romance. The three teens are eventually cleared of any wrong doing but because of Jamie’s new found feelings for Beth they decide to stay a little longer. While Jamie and Beth are occupied with their new found affair, Lucy is determined to solve the crime and find the girls murderer. As she and Kit begin a love/hate flirtation she persuades him to help her investigate the death of the girl on their own.
The encompassing mystery is full of suspense and is a real page turner. I did feel that the relationship between Jamie and Beth was a little quick moving for the feelings they claimed to have developed for one another. I was also a little irritated at the on again/off again love/hate flirtation between Lucy and Kit but I secretly hoped that he would redeem himself and they would end up together. While the two developing relationships were subplots to the mystery they were very insightful as to the things we do and the people we turn to in times of stress, grief, and fear. Overall this was a great read for young adults.
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