From Amazon.com: “Andy is the janitor’s son, an outcast, a nobody. Then the rumor starts-that Blake has a gun in his locker. In a moment of misguided hopefulness, Andy steals the keys from his dad and opens up Blake’s locker, hoping that finding the gun will change his own status. But the gun isn’t there and Andy remains an outcast. When an unlikely friendship develops between the two loners, Blake shares most of his secrets with Andy, including the gun. But there’s one secret that worries Andy more than anything-the date circled on Blake’s calendar. Does Blake have something planned? Something that Andy can prevent? In a fascinating look at how teens deal with the now constant threat of school violence, debut author Ryan G. Van Cleave provides a unique, emotional perspective on how it feels to be the one who can prevent a tragedy.”
I usually steer away from books told through verse. Actually, had I known before I requested it, I probably wouldn’t have requested it, even though the blurb appealed to me. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Unlocked.
I didn’t grow attatched to the characters, if you read my blog often, I’m sure you know that’s an important thing for me. I did find Blake and Andy’s friendship interesting, bonding over a gun. I did wonder what was going to happen in the end…it was a nice look at what’s wrong or right. All in all, it wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t a good match for me. Definitely check it out if verse doesn’t bother you and you want a fresh look on a very scary, real subject.
Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA/Walker Books for sending me a free copy of Unlocked for review.
