Skinhead - Softcover

Grade 7-9-- Called by police to the deathbed of a man he knows nothing about, Jonathan finds himself pulled into a world of violent prejudice and evil. A protected teenager whose parents have left him to be raised by his wealthy, strong-willed grandfather, Jonathan knows little of the underworld of the Skinheads, a neo-Nazi gang that seeks white dominance and racial purity. He does know that his life is somehow linked to the stranger who now lies in the morgue and to a young woman who seeks to find that man's killers. His attempts to make sense of this, and of the Skinheads' interest in him, form the basis of this exciting if not always plausible story. While portions of the plot do not stand up to close scrutiny (why don't the police have a clue as to the dead man's identity? Why is the key policeman's son so conveniently involved with those who have killed the stranger?), the suspense, short sentences, and paragraphs liberally laced with dialogue will carry reluctant readers through. Characters have no real depth; the motivations behind their actions are rarely clear. An atmosphere of doom and gloom pervades the story, abetted by everyone from the fatalistic policeman and the malignant Skinheads to Jonathan's selfish, bigoted grandfather. An adequate choice for those who consider reading a low priority, for it is a print version of the type of story they are likely to watch on television--it has generous doses of adventure mingled with unpredictable violence and a little romance. --Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.