Book Notes: The Perfect Blindside

I dare you to read Leslea Wahl's novel The Perfect Blindside without imagining how great it would be as a movie.

Anyone who knows me is amazed I’d say something like that, because I never like movies based on books–and I hardly ever see movies. But this mystery novel for teens is just begging to be depicted on the big screen.

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Told from dual points of view, The Perfect Blindside follows Jake, a self-described “snowboarding phenom” and teenage Olympian with a chip on his shoulder and his classmate Sophie, a small-town girl who’s proud of it–and who tends to geek out over local history.

Jake and Sophie become an unlikely pair as they puzzle over suspicious occurrences in the town of Silver Springs, Colorado. Is the deputy sheriff up to something nefarious, or is he just a greedy cop who just pushes the limits of abusing his power, harassing teenagers with speeding tickets and finagling free coffee and pastry from Main Street merchants? What’s killing the local wildlife? Who slashed the tires on Jake’s Jeep while he hiked on the mountain? And did that joint the deputy found in Jake’s glove compartmentreally belong to someone else?

With true-to-life characters, an intriguing mystery and a setting so real you’ll imagine yourself walking down Main Street, this novel had me saying “Just one more chapter” over and over again.

The Perfect Blindside is published by Pauline Teen. I recommend it for readers in 8th grade and beyond.

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Copyright 2016 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS