Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sensitive fifteen-year-old Connor is reluctantly drawn into a game of Russian roulette, which ends in the death of his best friend. The story is told in brief chapters that alternate between Connor's life after the shooting, stray flashbacks, and odd fantasy scenes involving a dragon. Though the characters are well realized, the writing--choppy sentences interspersed with flowery descriptions--is too self-conscious. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

On a rooftop, four boys play "idiot's roulette," in which you point the gun at the person next to you rather than yourself: Connor, his best friend Daniel, their old, if not close, friend Ryan and Will, a violent bully who is there by Daniel's invitation. When Will fires at Daniel, there's a bullet in the chamber and Daniel dies. Will is eventually charged with murder and Connor's sentence is anything but light. He gets probation and will have to face his classmates and close-knit family on a daily basis. Haunted by disturbing dreams, he turns to music for solace. Through his violin studies, his job at a home-improvement store and late-night rides in his brother's Camaro, Connor mourns Daniel and begins to heal. The non-linear presentation of the significant events leading to Daniel's death is irksome rather than suspenseful, but the author abandons the technique after that. This allows Daniel's story to grow organically and resolve—perhaps too cleanly. The peripheral characters, though predictable in their actions and words, are more believable as people than is the narrator. Although the dialogue is realistic for teenage boys, Connor's first-person internal narrative is melodramatic, emotionally manipulative and out of alignment with his dialogue. Only for teens looking for an easily digestible tear-jerker. (Fiction. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Fifteen-year-old Conner is pressured into a game of Russian roulette. The game ends tragically when Will, the instigator and bully in the group, turns the gun on Daniel, Connor's best friend, killing him instantly. For his involvement, Connor is placed on probation, but he is much harder on himself than the court was. Connor's tight-knit family is fragmented in its reaction: one brother takes him joyriding; another ignores him. Only his little sister is able to recall the good memories that they all share about Daniel. Connor stays busy by working at a hardware store and immersing himself in his violin studies. He begins to compose a violin piece, a cathartic activity that helps him process his role in Daniel's death and move on with his life. Brief chapters jump between past and present, punctuated by Connor's symbolic and revealing dreams. The aftereffects of a senseless tragedy are clearly felt in this novel, as is the premise that though it may never be the same, life does indeed go on. --Heather Booth Copyright 2007 Booklist

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 8-10-Connor's life changes in an instant when he and his friends, egged on by Will, play a game of "idiot's roulette" (a version of Russian roulette) with a stolen gun, and the 15-year-old's best friend, Daniel, is killed in the process. Will is charged with murder, and Connor and another boy are charged as accessories. Connor's narrative moves back and forth in time, with flashbacks to his and Daniel's childhoods. After the accident, the novel focuses on Connor's introspective journey of self-knowledge and self-forgiveness. This is where the narrative tension flags, because the outcome is really never in doubt. Artistic, articulate, and sensitive, Connor is surrounded by caring adults and a stable, supportive family who help him to come to terms with life after the tragedy. It is more difficult, however, to determine when this novel takes place. The boys play video games, and Connor's brother is a skateboarder, but what contemporary teenage boys use "trippy" to mean wild or "palling around" to refer to hanging out? Connor's inability to walk away from the game is not entirely believable because he is not portrayed as someone who would cave easily under peer pressure (he is a dedicated violinist who seems to have a strong sense of self). Secondary characters are fairly well developed, although Will is stereotypical. Ultimately not compelling, this book may be useful for collections needing additional titles that deal with peer pressure, understanding the consequences of one's actions, and the importance of saying "no" to bullies.-Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.