Period 8

I must say there is not a book that Chris Crutcher wrote that I haven't read. This book is now no exception.What I like most about Period.8, as all his other books, is how real the characters are. Frankly, I'm jealous of the relationships that the characters have with each other and I wish I'd had a Period.8 when I was growing up. I didn't have the big issues like most of Crutcher's characters, I just want the connection they make with one another. But of course he is eloquent when writing these characters, he was a family and child therapist for over 25 years. So yes, the issues he writes about happens.In Period.8 they talk about whatever they want, but it has to be real and true. But what isn't talked about in Period.8 is the problem. Chris slowly lets the clues out and we watch the story unfold.Sports in this book? Of course! He has swimming, basketball, and a hint of wrestling. The scenes are vivid, the wording perfect, the actions of the characters shocking. The main theme going on here.... he hasn't done before, and as Laurie Halse Anderson stated on the back of the book jacket, the ending IS shocking. As is the beginning, in my opinion.His absolute humor on names of characters and places make me snicker. Come on, "Heller High!" I also loved how he was able to show that some characters own up to their mistakes. That was a favorite of mine. Too often people blame others for their choices.I would give more information from the book, but that would ruin it! There is a quote from the book on the back jacket cover, "They shed their clothes and quietly bury them beneath leaves and needles. The night air is cold and Paulie feels goose bumps rising. This is nothing, he thinks, compared to what it's about to be." I had a great time imagining where those lines connected to the book! I wasn't disappointed!My last thought, if you think Crutcher's books are good, his presentations are the absolute best! Everything comes alive and he speaks as well as he writes. I use his books for the college courses that I teach and had him for a whole day at the college. When you meet Chris he has no ego. He loves his books, loves people, and wants young adults to know they aren't alone. Enjoy!!

Chris Crutcher is one of my favorite writers. I’ve read almost all of his books—and they never disappoint. When I was reading Period 8, I kept thinking about how this story feels like a Harlan Coban novel, full of suspense, mystery, and intriguing characters. If you are a fan of domestic thrillers or Chris Crutcher’s style of writing, this is a must read!

The surprise will be when Chris Crutcher writes a book that is not fantastic. I was a high school librarian, and I knew that recommending his books was a winner every time. If someone wanted something squeaky clean, no. However, if a kid wanted a book about real kids and real problems, this was where I went. This one is pretty far out there--very dark--and less relatable than others, but there is emotional truth in the relationships. Admittedly it was a bit heavy-handed, and a lot seemed to be unsurprising--at least to this devoted reader of Crutcher's work. None of that means it wasn't compelling and almost impossible to put down. I read it in two sessions only because I started at about 2 at night, and my eyes were closing on me halfway through. Not my favorite of his, but still--the man writes killer lit about YA's, but not just for them; I'm in my 70's.

Chris Crutcher proves once again why he is my hero. PERIOD.8, his latest, tackles real-world issues without preaching and kept me breathless from the first page. I found PERIOD.8 more suspenseful than any of Chris' other YA books-- and I've read and own them all.I'm a picky reader. I put down a lot more YA fiction than I read from cover-to-cover. Boredom, predictable plotting, and clunky dialogue cause me to set aside most books after the first few chapters, so for me to finish a book and write a review for it says that it was an AMAZING journey, and that I lost myself in the story. What more can a reader ask for?I loved the relationship between Paulie Baum and his teacher, "Logs". I loved the authentic dialogue and humor; the lessons Logs teaches his students and the weariness that I, as a long-time educator, know myself. I could "hear" the characters talking in my mind and I laughed aloud a few times.I read PERIOD.8 in two days; would have finished it sooner than that if I had my way. I read it until I couldn't see last night, and getting back to the book was the first thing on my mind this morning.YOU: reading this review: PICK UP PERIOD.8 TODAY. I'll go ahead and say this now: YOU ARE WELCOME for this recommendation.

I was really excited when I heard that Chris Crutcher had a new book coming out. I love Whale Talk and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and I teach both every year. I was hoping Period 8 would be a new one for my classes. I am disappointed that it will not be. The first thing that hit me was the language. However, both of the other books mentioned above have "adult" language, so I thought that I could overlook it if the story had a powerful message like Whale Talk and Sarah Byrnes. It did not. It is not a "teachable" book. That being said, it is a good book that I will recommend to students. Students who have read other things by Crutcher know that he can throw readers for a loop in a good way, and he does it again. I do not know if it is because I have read all of his other books that I could guess who that "really bad guys" were fairly early, but that mystery was not there. This is not Crutcher's best, but worth a read.

4.5 stars - I was rooting for Paulie the entire time! The ending was a bit abrupt, and I wanted more! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For fans of One of Us is Lying.

This story was so interesting - like most of the Crutcher books I've read in the past month - I get to the last maybe 2 or 3 chapters and cannot put the book down. Suspense is amazing - characters amazing - I cannot thank our high school librarian enough for turning me onto this writer!!! I would think most non-reading guys would love these books - he does deal with some touchy topics - but he does it realistically -