Inside Out: Review

Synopsis: Zach Wahhsted is used to hearing these brutal words. But today he isn't the only one in danger of dying.

A busy coffee shop -- a robbery gone wrong. Two gunmen, nine hostages, flashing lights, itchy trigger fingers. And Zach, a seemingly ordinary teenager, is caught in the middle of the mayhem.

But nobody realizes that Zach -- who has no gun and no knife -- has a mind more dangerous than any weapon.

Never what he seems and always on the edge, Zach is an unforgettable character in a new book by Terry Trueman that is filled with the same shocking power and heartbreaking compassion as his Printz Honor Book, Stuck in Neutral.

Details: "Inside Out" by Terry Trueman, 128 pages, 4 stars on Amazon, 3.85 stars on Goodreads

My Thoughts: I wasn't a huge fan of the cover. It was an interesting play on the phrase "inside out" and I like the words going across it, but I think there was more that could have been done with it. It would have been neat if the cover was something simple but intriguing, like Flipped.

Anyhow. This book was incredibly gripping. Something about Zach's voice, despite how apathetic he is to what's going on around him, is just so hooking. I was able to put it down but at parts reluctantly. At first I thought Zach was going to be really hard to relate to because of his schizophrenia, but I was still able to care about what happens to him, even if it was out of pity rather than sympathy. The best part of the book was the ending. When I finished the book, I hated the ending because it just seemed so abrupt. But looking back, it only adds to the horror of Zach's schizophrenia, and I think it's perfect now.

The one thing I didn't like so much was how quick the robbers were to reveal their story to Zach. It seemed sort of cliché to me as well that they only wanted to steal money to help pay for their mother's cancer treatment (like a small restaurant would have that kind of money anyway). Also, I'm still not entirely sure why the robbers thought Zach's psychologist would help them negotiate with the police.

Other than that, this was a quick but fascinating read. I would recommend it to everyone. It would be three smilies, but the ending was awesome, so four smilies out of five.