The Juvie Three
by Gordon Korman

    THE JUVIE THREE by Gordon Korman
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  9/2/08
    Publisher:  Hyperion
    Reviewed by:  Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
    Rating:  5 Stars


    What do you get when you mix three juvenile delinquents on their last chance before doing some long-term hard time,
    one do-gooder out to help them become better people, and Gordon Korman?  THE JUVIE THREE!  It is a fast-
    paced page-turner complete with humor, action scenes, romance, and some fascinating twists and turns.  

    Douglas Healy lived through his own hard times, and now he is determined to give some hope to a new crop of
    troubled teens.  He has worked hard to cut through the red tape and bureaucratic nonsense to open a small halfway
    house (apartment) for three lost boys.  Gecko, Terence, and Arjay have committed a variety of crimes, from driving a
    stolen getaway car to murder, and society seems to say their are beyond hope.  The efforts of Douglas Healy have
    given the three a last chance.  

    Gecko seems grateful and determined to do the right thing.  Arjay is confused and suspicious, yet strangely
    appreciative, that a stranger would take the time to reach out a helping hand.  Terence looks at the situation as an
    opportunity to make a quick buck and escape ASAP.  

    When Terence breaks the rules one night and attempts to sneak out by way of the fire-escape, the other two boys
    step in to protect what they view as their last chance at a real life.  The scuffle between the boys is interrupted by a
    sleepy and angry Douglas Healy, who has the unfortunate luck to plummet head-first from the fire-escape to the
    pavement below.

    Fearful of the outcome if they are caught, the three boys load an unconscious, bleeding Healy in the back of a stolen
    car and rush him to the nearest emergency room, where they dump him and then hightail it back to the apartment.  
    Until they can decide what to do next, they agree to keep up appearances and stick to their usual daily routine.  What
    follows is an amazing tale of how three supposedly "no good" kids follow the rules and make the right decisions
    without adult supervision.  

    The plot twists and turns will keep even the most reluctant readers on the edge of their seats.  Don't miss THE JUVIE
    THREE.