Librarian's Pick of the Week: The Outcasts

Title: The Outcasts
Author: L. S. Matthews
Published: 2007
Age: 13+

The Breakfast Club meets Bertie Wooster. A little hokey, but entertaining none-the-less.

Synopsis: "Four of the Outcasts don't really participate in class, and all five could care less about a group activity, so the fact that all of them actually go on the fieldtrip is something of a miracle. And when reality splits, and they end up in another dimension, you can imagine how badly they'll all wish they'd stayed home. Five outcasts fall out of reality. How many will make it back to the world as they know it?"

Review: "A group of English high-school students who have reputations as school troublemakers are surprised to find that they have been picked for an overnight field trip.They end up in an old estate with an ancient skull that, according to legend, screams if it is taken from the house. The kids soon find themselves in a weird, surreal, video-game-inspired adventure as they must face an assortment of deathly challenges. In the midst of the action, the characters find themselves changing and growing more confident and trusting of others. The novel's strengths don't lie just in the imaginative plot and creepy, atmospheric setting, however. Matthews also presents a realistic view of the anger and frustrations of teenagers who don't fit in at school but possess an assortment of unrecognized strengths and talents. A fun, wild, and thoughtfully layered adventure." - Booklist


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!