Pawns

By Willo Davis Roberts

Book Overview

Teddi is determined to protect the elderly neighbor who took her in after she lost her parents in this fast-paced mystery from Edgar Award--winning author Willo Davis Roberts. Teddi has recently been... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1481486195
• ISBN13: 9781481486194
• Release Date: June 2017
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Satisfying read

Orphan Teddi, recovering from many losses, has finally begun to adjust to life with her next-door-neighbor turned foster mother Marnie when Dora shows up on their doorstep, pregnant and claiming to be the wife of Marnie's estranged and recently deceased son Ricky. Kindly Marnie takes her in and Dora casually usurps Teddi's place in the house. Teddi, feeling displaced, thinks there may be something about Dora's story that doesn't quite ring true. Her conscience questions her gut instincts, and she wonders if she is hunting for clues that aren't really there because she is jealous. An attractive boy who moves into Teddi's old house becomes an accomplice in the investigation to discover who Dora really is. Will Teddi and Marnie become pawns to Dora's plot to get Ricky's insurance money? Roberts, three-time winner of the prestigious Edgar Allen Poe award for mystery for teens, creates a well-crafted dramatic story. Teddi's process of deduction is very clear and easy to follow, and the reader feels smart watching Dora trip up again and again, waiting for Teddi to catch her in a lie. The relationship between Teddi and Jason is charming, although the characters seem either younger than their ages (14 and 16) or very naive. The amount of tragedy in the book is a bit unbelievable. Within 154 pages, there is a plane crash, a suicide, a terminal illness, an automobile accident, a child who assists an adult in a home delivery, a domineering and possibly abusive husband, a cut forehead, and a burned finger. The ending is unpredictable (we know Dora is a fraud, but we aren't sure how Teddi will expose her) and very satisfying. Roberts presents a resilient and bright female protagonist who confronts an obstacle and is able to begin to face her fears and address her concerns with her guardian. I had only read one of her books previously, and loved it, and it was a delight to rediscover the author. Purchase where mysteries are popular; fans of Betty Ren Wright may enjoy this title.

CMJ REVIEWS PAWNS

Pawns by Willo Davis Roberts was an excellant book. It was very suspenseful. From the beginning to the end you could not really predict the next move of any character. The main charcter was a teenage girl around fourteen years old, her name is Teddi. Teddi at first looses her mother to cancer, then since her father can't handle it he commits suicide right in their garage where Teddi would easily find him. While her mom was dying, her next door neighbor Mamie would help take care of her. So when both of Teddi's parents died Mamie didn't want to let Teddi go into foster care she made a deal with social services so Teddi could stay with Mamie. While Teddi lived with Mamie, Mamie's son Daniel died in a horried plane crash. Not even living with Mamie for a total of six months Teddi's life changed dramaticaly. When one day the door bell and Mamie's daughter-in-law shows up pregnant. Teddi is very suspicous on why Mamie was never told that her son was married or about to be a father. Mamie was thrilled because she thought she would never see her son again but with a granson coming there would be a part of her son in him. The women's name is Dora. Even though Dora is pregnant she is very lazy and thoughtless. Once the baby comes it's a boy named Danny after the father. Dora starts to do more when the baby comes not that's it's good. She steals money from Mamie and sneaks away from home at night to who knows where. Meanwhile in Teddi's old home a new family moves in. There are three kids none her age but a boy about 3 or 4 years older. They become friends and start hanging out together playing tennis. His name is Jason. He even begins to be suspicous of Dora. The ending has a twist to it and the truth comes out. In certain parts of the book you can see what the author is saying because the author is using excellant imagry. A lot of irony was used. I would recommend this book to anybody not only because it's an excellant book but because escepically teenagers can relate to this book. Most teens don't like to read but this would just take them away from the world and into the book.

This was an excellent book

I thought that this was an excellent book. It has all the charcteristics I wanted it to have, sadness, and realashonships between people. This isen't a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat but it is very interesting to read. There are many deaths in it though. If you do not like sad books you should not read this book.