After being beaten up by two boys at school, Sam does not like himself. To prove that he is brave, he takes his new boat out into the Alabama swamp to search for a dead body. Instead, he discovers Davey living in an abandoned camp. The boys soon develop a secret friendship. As their relationship develops, Sam realizes that Davey's secrets could launch the boys into serious trouble.
I kept reading this book into the wee hours of the morning. The suspense is well-crafted, and the plot compels the reader to read "just one more chapter". I felt, however, that ending was too long for how fast the rest of the plot was. Davey's adoption process was sweet, but it felt tagged onto the end of another wise suspenseful story.
Sam and his parents attend church. It seems like Sam's mother is the only one who values a relationship with God (she works at the church too). Sam's dad attends because he knows his wife wants him there and out of duty. Sam daydreams and does not listen to the sermons. When he does pray, it is to bargain with God.
Points to discuss/warnings: swearing, lying, divorce, underage drinking/smoking, murder, drugs (marijuana)/drug dealers, violence (When the two boys beat up Sam and his friend Grover, it is graphic; a dead body is found; Slade, Davey's step-brother is evil and resorts to violence).
-Borrowed from the library.
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