Cheated
by Patrick Jones

    CHEATED by Patrick Jones
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  4/1/08
    Publisher:  Walker Books
    Reviewed by:  Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Three hard-partying fifteen year olds form a special friendship. Together, they try to cope with the problems they all
    face in their home lives. Trust is the bond that cements their friendship. But can this friendship, with even the strongest
    of bonds, survive the choices they made one dark November night?

    Mick Salisbury and his friends, Brody and Aaron, all struggle with personal demons. Their fathers have not turned
    out to be the positive role models young boys deserve. One is dead, one is in prison, and the other betrayed his
    family and refuses to accept responsibility for devastating their lives. In response to their unsettled lives, the three
    boys have turned to rum and Coke and late nights out to ease their pain. Mick knows what they are doing carries a
    risk of consequence that may be more than he bargained for, but he is powerless to stop.

    CHEATED tells about a series of events that lead to the tragic death of a homeless man, and the attempt to cover up
    the crime and avoid punishment. Author Patrick Jones takes readers into the mind of Mick Salisbury, where they will
    learn about a love for his devoted, hard-working mother and a hatred of the man he refers to as his ex-dad. Mick
    feels a sense of betrayal from his parents and a sense of self-betrayal as he deals with his role in this deadly mistake.

    Written in a straight-forward, no-nonsense style, CHEATED will have teens and adults alike captivated by the
    thoughts and feelings of this tortured young man. Readers will no doubt feel a mix of sympathy and horror as a few
    short weeks of Mick’s life unfold on the pages of this well-crafted YA novel.