Crusader
by Edward Bloor

    CRUSADER by Edward Bloor
    Category:  Mystery/Thriller
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  4/1/07
    Publisher:  Harcourt
    Reviewed by:  Marta Morrison
    Rating:  5 Stars


    A Crusader is someone who supports a certain cause and a Crusader is also a knight in the 11th-13th centuries
    who fought to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims.  Both of these definitions come into play in this long but
    wonderful mystery.

    Roberta Ritter is a shy and lonely girl.  She is plain but only because she doesn't really care how she looks.  
    Roberta's father owns, along with his brother, a virtual reality arcade in a failing mall in Florida.  The family used to
    have an arcade on the strip, but due to the murder of her mother they sold that franchise and opened this one.   

    Roberta doesn't really have a relationship with her father.  He is away a lot and so Roberta and her family act as the
    store owners at the mall where the arcade is located.  At the opening of the story, the arcade is getting a new
    experience in the form of a Crusader.  When violence happens at the mall and an Arab is attacked, Roberta
    becomes a Crusader to foil whoever is doing this and also decides to find out, along the way, who murdered her
    mother.  

    This book is long, 591 pages, but excellent!   The characterization of the major players was spot on.  I felt like I
    know Roberta and she is one of my good friends.  I really cared about what was going on with every character and
    the storyline was interesting.  It wove in politics and the driving force of the media.  There was dysfunction
    everywhere but there was also true love and caring.  I recommend this book wholeheartedly!