Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2000 (Vol. 68, No. 10))
Plum-Ucci makes a memorable fiction debut with this soapy tale of a teenager's disappearance from a small New Jersey town asimmer with dirty secrets. Rumors fly when despised, perennial outcast Chris Creed vanishes, leaving an ambiguous e-mail note behind. Did he run? Commit suicide? Was he kidnapped? Murdered? Suspicion quickly centers on 17-year-old Bo Richardson, a hard case with a long juvenile record-but as Bo's naïve schoolmate Alex discovers, finger-pointing is not evidence. Revelations unfold as Alex begins to look past his comfortable life and circle of superficial friends: the adults in town are still flinching over a similar disappearance a generation ago; the seemingly distraught Mrs. Creed is a control freak of the most damaging kind; a schoolmate psychologically abused by her mother's current boyfriend reveals that the local police chief is one of her mother's former ones. Most startling of all, to Alex at least, beneath Bo's brutal exterior lies a fundamental decency. Alex's insights into the fears and secrets of people around him, and the way ugly truths can be hidden by easy lies, are hard-won enough to be convincing, and the plot peaks with a gloriously icky scene in which Alex breaks his leg while breaking into an old, naturally sealed Lenape tomb, and watches a more recent corpse spontaneously decompose upon exposure to fresh oxygen. Unlike such similarly harrowing stories as Michael Cadnum's "Zero at the Bone "(1996) and Jean Thesman's "Calling the Swan "(see below), this leaves readers with hints that the missing person is still alive somewhere-but readers will understand why, if so, he's not coming out of hiding any time soon. 2000, Harcourt Brace, $17.00. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2000 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, July 2000 (Vol. 34, No. 4))
Chris Creed, a high school junior and all-around "town weirdo," envies the popular kids in school like Torey Adams: "I don't understand why I get nothing and these boys get everything--athletic ability, good personalities, beautiful girlfriends," he writes in an enigmatic e-mail to the high school principal. He goes on to say, "I wish no malice on anyone. I only wish to be gone." And indeed, he vanishes. His parents are distraught, and the school community is in turmoil. No one liked Chris particularly, but no one wanted him dead or gone--or did they? Sixteen-year-old Torey's previously "perfect" life is turned upside down in the wake of Chris's disappearance, as he starts to formulate questions about the people around him, begins to fight peer pressure, and learns to appreciate previously unseen qualities in some of the kids from the other side of the tracks. Torey even starts to doubt his own sanity when he has a vision and stumbles across a dead body. The secrets of a small town slowly emerge in this suspenseful and well-told coming-of-age story, as Torey comes to understand something of the complexities of life. The mystery of Chris's disappearance and the intriguing characters here will pull readers in; this is a gripping tale, with realistic, sometimes profane dialogue. An exceptionally strong first novel, by an author worth watching. KLIATT Codes: JS*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2000, Harcourt, 248p, 99-44212, $17.00. Ages 13 to 18.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April 2000 (Vol. 53, No. 8))
Torey Adams, golden boy, harassed Christopher Creed as much as anyone else in their high-school class; Creed, a social misfit and irritating to boot, seemed to invite abuse. After sending a (possible) suicide email note to the high school principal, Creed disappears; when he fails to reappear or be found, rumors of homicide in the woods begin to fly. There is no body or indication of foul play, but that doesn’t stop Mrs. Creed--she is bound and determined someone will be punished for what happened to her oldest son. Her malevolent eye falls on Bo Richardson, an apparent hoodlum from the wrong side of the tracks, and for a time it looks as if she’s going to succeed in railroading him into jail. Torey and friend Ali (now Bo’s girlfriend) attempt to clear Bo, but their efforts do little more than add to the appearance of guilt. Plum-Ucci limns the social hierarchy of a community resistant to both change and truth, and her control is evident in the unsensational handling of what could easily have degenerated into a lurid slice of small-town life. Torey’s discovery of a body in the woods is a devastating moment, but even more devastating is his realization of some unpleasant realities about adults with feet of clay. This is a complex, credible look at alienation, compassion, loyalty, and cruelty among young and other adults. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2000, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2000, Harcourt, 256p, $17.00. Grades 9-12.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2000)
Torey Adams never had much use for school outcast Christopher Creed until Chris disappears without a trace. Torey then begins to investigate whether the other boy was murdered, committed suicide, or ran away. Issues of conformity and corporate guilt play roles in a smart, contemporary mystery that injects a good deal of psychological depth into the suspenseful plot. Category: Older Fiction. 2000, Harcourt, 248pp, $17.00. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Teri Lesesne (VOYA, August 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 3))
Christopher Creed could be a royal pain to his classmates. Nevertheless, when he disappears, everyone worries about what has happened to him. Has he become the victim of a murder or abduction? Is suicide a possibility? Perhaps, think some, Christopher has simply run away. The police and the Creed family search for answers. So does sixteen-year-old classmate Torey Adams. It seems as though everyone has a story about pounding Christopher for his annoying behavior; even Torey admits to slugging him once. As the mystery deepens, however, and people begin to blame various people in the small town of Steepleton, Torey begins to realize that there are many secrets in the town. Perhaps the disappearance of Christopher Creed is a mystery not meant to be solved. Despite the fact that Christopher Creed is a character never really "seen" in the novel, readers will come to know him and to care about him through the author's deft characterization. How other characters think and feel about Christopher, as well as how they react to the news of his mysterious disappearance, are as revealing as any description of him might be. The reactions of the student body, many of whom loathed Christopher, are realistic. Conversations sound as if they were recorded in any high school hallway. The open-ended conclusion will have readers talking and discussing long after reading. The book would be a great way to inspire debate about how preconceived notions can color the manner in which people relate to each other, and it will help teens challenge prejudices that they often are unaware exist. There is a great deal of depth to be plumbed in this novel. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2000, Harcourt, 256p, $17. Ages 12 to 18.