The Juvie Three
Gordon KormanISBN 9781443157469
eISBN 9781443124683
ASIN B078GZ449M
This was an excellent read! It is the 21st book I have read from Gordon Korman, most of them over the last few years. Earlier this year, in the summer of 2022, he published his 100th book. Yes you read that correctly, his hundredth book. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Having now read 21 of his books, it is hardly a drop in the buck, but with each one I read I am entertained and often challenged. If I read about a book a week in just under 2 years I will have read and reviewed all of his books. It is an ambitious project but it is a goal. My son often reads these books to me or with me. I picked up this to read on my own but have since recommended it to my son.
My son and I started reading Gordon Korman books together a few years ago, when he was given one as an end of year gift by his teacher. She gave the whole class the same Scholastic edition and wrote a note to each student in the book. Prior to that I had a read a few of his contributions to the 39 Clues series and had enjoyed them. My Son and I have mostly been reading his more recent titles. This is a newer title and one that we had missed. It is one that is just shy of his 80th. The description of this volume is:
“Gecko doesn't want to go back to Juvenile Detention, but trouble somehow always finds him...
Graham "Gecko" Fosse drove the getaway car for a robbery he didn't even know was going down. But that doesn't keep him out of Juvie - the worst place he has ever been. It's a place where its inmates, some convicted teenage killers, could easily write an encyclopedia on how to inflict pain. Thankfully, do-gooder Douglas Healy shows up, giving Gecko a chance to swap the slammer for a halfway house lived in by two other young criminals. There are just three crucial conditions - the three boys must stay in school and out of trouble, all while staying on Social Services' good side. Or else it's back to Juvie for all of them.
But Terence seems bent on getting himself into trouble - the boys catch him sneaking down the fire escape, off to pull another heist. If only their fight hadn't gotten physical and Healy hadn't wound up in the hospital with amnesia. If only Gecko wasn't falling for a girl whose dad's best friend was the Deputy Police chief. And that's just the beginning of their problems.
One thing's for certain: if the boys are found out, their second chance will be their last...”
This is a very interesting story. Three juvenile offenders are given a second chance. They are in a pilot program in New York City. They come from different backgrounds, have different offenses, and very different personalities. They are the wards of Healy and have a very pack schedule, school, counselling, community service … But Things go sideways very quickly. And it is up to the three to make it look like nothing has happened. Can they find a way to work together and keep the cover going, or will the crack and split and take their chances? Will they embrace an all for one, or each for himself.
Having family members and friends who have served in corrections, and seen numerous foster children come through my parents place this story touched close to home. The story moves at a steady pace. There is a love interest, a thug, a band, a devoted teacher. And three kids with everything to lose. This is a deeply moving story. It was a real page turner. Another excellent read from the always entertaining pen of Gordon Korman!
Books by Gordon Korman:
MacDonald Hall Series:
Go Jump in the Pool (1979)
Beware the Fish! (1980)
The Wizzle War (1982)
(formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)
The Zucchini Warriors (1988)
Light’s Camera, Disaster (1991)
(aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
The Jokes on Us (1995)
(formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)
…
Bugs Potter Series:
Who is Bugs Potter? (1980)
…
Jeremy Bloom Series:
The D−Poems of Jeremy Bloom (1992)
The Last-Place Sports Poems of Jeremy Bloom (1996)
…
Monday Night Football Series:
The Quarterback Exchange (1997)
Running Back Conversion (1997)
Super Bowl Switch (1997)
Heavy Artillery (1997)
Ultimate Scoring Machine (1998)
NFL Rules! Bloopers, Pranks, Upsets, and Touchdowns (1998)
…
Masterminds Series:
Masterminds (2015)
Masterminds: Payback (2017)
…
Slapshots Series:
The Stars From Mars (1999)
All-Mars All-Stars/The Dream Team (1999)
The Face-off Phony (2000)
Cup Crazy (2000)
Ouch I got slapped (2023)
…
4-in-1 Slapshots: The Complete Collection (2008)
…
Nose Pickers Series:
Nose Pickers from Outer Space! (1999)
Planet of the Nose Pickers (2000)
Your Mummy Is a Nose Picker (2000)
Invasion of the Nose Pickers (2001)
…
4-in-1 The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection (2006)
…
Island Series:
Shipwreck (2001)
Survival (2001)
Escape (2001)
…
3-in-1 Island Trilogy Collection (2006)
…
Son of the Mob Series:
Son of the Mob (2002)
Son of the Mob 2: Hollywood Hustle (2004)
…
Everest Series:
The Contest (2002)
The Climb (2002)
The Summit (2002)
…
Everest Trilogy Box Set (2002)
Dive Series:
The Discovery (2003)
The Deep (2003)
The Danger (2003)
…
On the Run Series:
Chasing the Falconers (2005)
The Fugitive Factor (2005)
The Stowaway Solution (2005)
Public Enemies (2005)
Hunting the Hunter (2006)
…
Kidnapped Series:
The Abduction (2006)
The Search (2006)
The Rescue (2006)
…
Swindle Series:
Swindle (2008)
Zoobreak (2009)
Framed (2010)
Showoff (2012)
Hideout (2013)
Jackpot (2014)
Unleashed (2015)
Jingle (2016)
…
Titanic Series:
Unsinkable (2011)
Collision Course (2011)
S.O.S (2011)
…
The 39 Clues Series:
One False Note (2008)
The Emperor's Code (2010)
Vespers Rising (2011)
The Medusa Plot (2011)
Flashpoint (2014)
…
Hypnotists Series:
The Hypnotists (2013)
Memory Maze (2014)
The Dragonfly Effect (2015)
…
Ungifted Series:
Ungifted (2012)
Supergifted (2018)
…
Slacker Series:
...
Non Series Books:
I Want to Go Home! (1981)
Our Man Weston (1982)
No Coins, Please (1984)
Don't Care High (1985)
Son of Interflux (1986)
Radio 5th Grade (1989)
Losing Joe's Place (1990)
The Twinkie Squad (1992)
The Toilet Paper Tigers (1993)
The Chicken Doesn't Skate (1996)
Liar, Liar Pants on Fire (1997)
No More Dead Dogs (2000)
Maxx Comedy: The Funniest Kid in America (2003)
Jake, Reinvented (2003)
Born To Rock (2006)
Schooled (2007)
The Juvie Three (2008)
Pop (2009)
Restart (2017)
What's His Face? (2018)
The Unteachables (2019)
Notorious (2019)
War Stories (2020)
Game On (contains The Chicken Doesn’t Skate and The Toilet Paper Tigers (2021)
Unplugged (2021)
Linked (2021)
Operation Do-Over (2022)
The Fort (2022)
The Super Teacher Project (2023)
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