Young Adult Literature without Apology

Amy's assessment of contemporary young adult literature, organized by author and title, censored by noone.

Realistic | Romance | Science Fiction | Historical Fiction | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Sorrells, Walter (2005). Fake ID. NY: Dutton. ISBN: 0525475141. 192 pages.

Sixteen-year-old Chastity Pureheart does not know her real name nor does she know why she and her young mother have systematically moved around the country, starting over in each new town with new identities and new lives. As a child, Chastity thought their vagabond lifestyle was typical; as a young adult, however, she is beginning to question this and other unusual practices. While Chastity and her mother enjoy a trusting relationship built on a sense of partnership, Chastity rebels at her mother's one decree: although she is not allowed to bring or listen to music in the house, Chastity learns to play the guitar in private and hones her already impressive singing skills. When, on Chastity's sixteenth birthday, her mother discovers Chastity's secret talent, she storms out of the house and disappears. The bulk of the novel traces Chastity's attempt to find her mother and solve the mystery that has sent the two of them on the run.

Sorrells is an adult mystery author who has brought his style to young adult literature, resulting in a fast-paced mystery for the teen set. The central mystery in Fake ID revolves around Chastity's mother's connection to an entertainment mega-corporation and a death (or murder) in her past. While entertaining, the story includes at least two asides that, I felt, spoke to some outmoded prejudices: Sorrells' characterization of a black gangster-type and a possibly gay male librarian came a bit too close to stereotype for my comfort. Though this book is the first in a series (called "Hunted"), the novel did not end with a cliffhanger and resolved itself adequately in its conclusion.