Age: 16
Title: Trapped
Author: Michael Northrop
Publisher: Scholastic
Pub Date: 2/1/2011
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: Despite the enticing cover and intriguing premise, I do not recommend this book. I’m not sure why it was recommended to me, because from the start I found the characters underdeveloped and the plot lethargic. Mediocre execution managed to make a story about teenagers trapped inside their school during a week-long snowstorm with no electricity boring. Not much happened except for constant updates on how the snow was climbing past the windows and a petty fight over a misunderstanding towards the end. Each of the characters was given only one characteristic: the hot girl, the hot girl’s friend, the basketball player, the bully, the weird kid (it was never even explained what made him ‘weird’) and the mechanic guy. They might as well have been cardboard cut-outs. And since when is being hot an excuse for a personality?
Memorable or Forgettable: I was extremely disappointed in this book, especially after hearing it was good from other readers and seeing the excellent cover. At one point I skipped about a hundred pages and nothing seemed to have changed, plot or characters. There were moments when the first person narrator tried to describe a small, personal epiphany, but the lack of personality and significance made these pathetic.
Cover: This book was forgettable except for the excellent design and cover work. The image of a nearly buried school in a whirlwind of white gives a sense of suspense before you even start reading. Each chapter heading includes a progressing pile of snow, until the pages are left completely white at the end as it reaches past the windows. This is the first time I’ve seen a cover that is so much better than the book it presents.
Age Range: 12-17
Quality: 1Q How did it get published?f
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
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