YOU by Charles Benoit

You see the jocks who walk the halls with their packs, looking like kings and making sure the weak know where they stand. People like Jake….

You see the girl that will be with almost anyone and uses them as much as they use her. People like Kristi….

You see the guys who wear hoodies, black shirts and baggy jeans and really don’t care about anything. People like Derrick, Max and Ryan….

You see the girl that gets along with everyone. The one you think about all the time, talk to as much as possible, just to look at her. People like Ashley….

You see the one the sparkles along the outer edges. He gets along with adults and can bring down the strongest by knowing what makes them tick. People like Zack….

And you see yourself. Wondering how you got where you are now. Looking at the choices you’ve made that altered your course of life and wondering which one was THE one that changed your life. Looking at the anger that bubbles deep inside of you and how you’ve tried to ignore it. And then you really look around you and see all of the blood….You’re name is Kyle Chase and this is your story.

What a POWERFUL book. This is Charles Benoit first venture into YA literature, and he comes in with welcome arms. You is the story of one main character, but the story cannot be told without the characters that surround Kyle. But makes this novel such a strong one is how Benoit writes about the STARK REALITY of high school from the perspective of the main characters. When you read this, you are walking down the halls of high school and understand what Kyle is going through as well as his reasoning for acting the way he does toward his teachers and parents. Reminiscent of Gail Giles’s Shattering Glass and Chris Krovatin’s Venomous, this is a book that goes the distance and doesn’t stop. I read this is one sitting and think teens and adults will too. Highly recommended.