School Library Journal
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Gr 9 Up-For Pete, the summer after high school graduation is quiet and a bit lonely since his friends have drifted apart. When "the old gang" decides to meet one last time, Pete, Raymond, Nicole, Eric, and Pauly get together for a night of reminiscing and hanging out at a carnival. But their differences are now too big to overcome and the friendly gathering falls apart after too much drinking, drugs, and sexual tension. They make their way individually to the carnival, where the night ends badly. A former school friend, now a famous celebrity, goes missing, as does Raymond. Could these incidents be related? Could someone Pete thought of as a friend be a criminal? Pete gets drawn into the investigation, which puts his policeman father in a difficult position, and tries to do right by both the authorities and his friends-which are at odds with one another. All of the action happens in less than a week, yet the pace seems slow at times. This may be because of the ultrarealistic dialogue: "What?" "Are you sure?" "Yeah...I guess...." Still, the descriptions of places and events are evocative, the characters realistic, and the suspense gripping. Brooks has created a police procedural as well as a coming-of-age story. The ending leaves a big piece missing from the puzzle and may frustrate some readers.-Geri Diorio, The Ridgefield Library, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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

It's supposed to be a last meet-up before everyone scatters. But everything changes on that Saturday night. Pete, the son of a cop, goes to the old hideout at the request of a former girlfriend. When one of the kids spikes the drinks with a hallucinogenic drug, the evening turns into a nightmare, complete with a missing person, a dead body, and a secret relationship disclosed. Pete tries to solve the mystery of who has done what to whom, but uppermost in his mind is locating kind Raymond, his closest pal, who is not quite right in the head and has disappeared. The story is long; the plotting, at times, convoluted; and the ending, as in Kissing the Rain (2004), leaves a question that deserved to be answered. But Brooks is a fine writer, and he knows how to keep the tension high. One of the best parts of the book is his depiction of Pete's parents and their relationship with their son. He captures the essence of how parents want to protect and kids want to break away.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2008 Booklist

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Starred Review. Sinister yet seductive, this brooding thriller bears all the Brooks (Lucas) hallmarks, chiefly the British author's painful awareness of teenage alienation, made urgent by violent events; and a marked taste for ambiguity. Five teens precede a trip to a carnival with a visit to their long-abandoned hideout; as the narrator, Pete, explains, all five used to be friends, now they see one another as people you used to know. The next morning, one of them is missing—Raymond, a borderline type who believes his black rabbit can talk to him—as is a local girl turned wild-child celebrity, seen taunting Raymond the previous evening. As the police hunt for the starlet, Pete alone worries about Raymond and begins trying to track him. Brooks calibrates the relationships among these characters with such subtlety that readers get swept up even by the MacGuffins, and it's in the characters' hidden histories that Pete finds his clues. A running motif about the relationship between close observation and intuition might encourage readers to pay unusually strict attention; it will equip them for the semi-open ending. Ages 12–up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Childhood relationships twist after gruesome events. While rediscovering formerly close friendships, 17-year-old Pete and his motley crew find themselves targeted for investigation after a teen starlet disappears from the local carnival. Pete begins his own inquiry after learning that Raymond, the group's outcast, is the prime suspect, and soon learns the bonds of friendship have shifted into something darker. Entangled in a web of betrayal and blackmail, Pete must discover who he is and who his friends have become. Brooks's skill at depicting cooled friendships excels, though readers may wonder why the group was so close initially. Raymond's distant character becomes too insubstantial at times, nearly drifting from the page; however, readers who know what it's like to be bullied will feel a strong emotional connection with him. False trails and near misses weigh down the interpersonal mystery, diluting an otherwise fast-paced narrative. Exploring control, power and secrecy, with a hint of Lord of the Flies, Brooks crafts a morbid beach read. (Mystery. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.