The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Fifteen-year-old Henry Holloway isn't immoral, he's just hungry. His mother died when he was nine, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Andy and his friends, all amiable small-time crooks. When Uncle Andy is sent to prison, Henry takes up residence in an abandoned tree house in order to escape the notice of Social Services. His mission? To survive on his own while preserving his cherished independence. Fortunately, Henry possesses all the skills it takes to be a successful house burglar.
Henry is an unusually resourceful and considerate burglar—often tidying up the places he robs—until he's caught. The terms of his probation? He must live with the Wingates, a strange family in a small town called Snowflake Falls.
Henry is just getting used to his temporary family when the newly liberated Uncle Andy and his criminal friends draw him into a plan to rob the citizens of Snowflake Falls. Will Henry be loyal to his uncle or will he break with the past and do the right thing?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Slow pacing and a frontloaded back-story undercut Lekich's (King of the Lost and Found) coming-of-age novel about a teenage thief who finds redemption. Raised by his uncle Andy in a community of minor miscreants following his mother's death, Henry learned the art of picking locks at a young age. When Andy is sent to prison, Henry avoids the foster care system by living in a tree house, surviving by breaking into neighbors' houses and stealing bits of food. Somewhat improbably, Henry's conscience won't allow him to take more than he needs, and in exchange for what he does take, he often performs light chores. Upon getting caught, Henry is sentenced to a program called Second Chances, which places him in the town of Snowflake Falls, where he is to live with the puzzling and eccentric Wingate family. The quirky, small-town characters especially brainy, socially awkward 11-year-old Charlotte provide lively dialogue, humor, and an opportunity for Henry to become more fully developed, but readers may tire of Henry's heavy reminiscing about his upbringing throughout the first half before the core plot comes into play. Ages 12 up.
