Dear Ms. Giles:
This is a Young Adult book and I know that some YA books are marketed to 12 years or older, but I would only deem it appropriate for kids aged 15 or older because of the dark overtones. This book’s centerpiece is the suicide of David Kyle. One night, after a negative encounter at school, David Kyle hangs himself from his tree in his front yard. He pins to his chest the following note:
Words are teeth. And they eat me alive.
This one act drives Kyle Kirby to an act of psychotic desperation and transforms the life of another teenager, Cass McBride. The tale is told in the first person through three different lenses: Kyle Kirby, Cass McBride, and short riffs by an investigating detective.
The theme of the book is the power of words. Kyle, David, and Cass have all been damaged by the words of their parents. Kyle and David’s mother has always been unsatisfied with her life and views her children as the opportunity to have success that she missed out on. Cass McBride lives with her father, the ultimate sales man, and has cut her mother totally off. She realizes, as children do, the love of one parent is conditional. She had to stay with her father in order to preserve their relationship. It’s bitter irony that the mother’s unconditional love is used against her. When Kyle kidnaps and then buries Cass alive, allowing her the ability to speak, you wonder whether Cass will be able to use her power of words to achieve survival.
The story, despite its brevity, shows that a child is so dependent upon the love and affection of their parents; that their psyches are so fragile. The nightmare that Kyle, David and Cass suffer is one seeded by their parents and nurtured by their parents. Did teenagers have responsibility for their actions? At some point, yes, of course, they did, but you come away with the feeling that tragedy was inevitable.
I always think the greatest horror story is the one that is real. Freddy and Jason are macabre, but because they are caricatures, those stories lack sustained fear factor. A story featuring a seemingly normal individual serially killing women and harvesting their skin is a tale that will chill you for weeks. This is that type of story. It is a fear inducing, eye opening horror tale that will choke a reader because of its realness, its absolute ability to occur in everyday life. The ending was brilliant. It was incomplete in way that absolutely fit the story. There could be no tidying believable ending for these characters. A.
Best regards,
Jane
This book sounds like it would be a really emotional read. I’ll keep on my radar next time I’m in the bookstore but it’s not something I’d want to read right now. Thanks for the review. Lately, I’ve been collecting fantasy YA novels. You should read The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.
I will give that a try. I generally have liked the Young Adult books that I have tried. This book really isn’t a heavy, but it is emotional.
I think that the book “What Happened to Cass McBride” is a classical story o f what our world is today. even though i haven’t read it yet i know that this book has all the same things that i know of. i know that this book represents the life a one teenagers life and how he likes this popular girl alot and how she rejects him. Thats typical in schiools all around. but not all of the kids that get rejected comit suicide but atleast one point in there time of harness they think about it. It just so happens that in this story that the brother kills who thinks caused his brothers death. now i haven’t read this book but when i do i will leave another comment.
:-( I ope that this is a good book because i don’t want to read it and not like it!!
Ms. Giles
Hi… im a 14 year old from PA. i came across your book at the piblic library in town( im always there), and it really caught my eye. So i began to read it. It was so hard to put down i always wanted to read it because it always had you guessing and on the edge of your seat. It was a great book one of the best ive ever read. Thanks for the book, keep on writing.
One of your biggest fans,
Kristen
I’m half way through the book and it’s really good so far…
This book was unbelievable. I literally could not make myself put it down. Congratulations on a Literary Success, keep up the great writing!
I hated thus book I had to read it in class it sucked i could have wrote a better book in my sleep i never want to read this again let alone even touch it this book should not have been written so please don’t ever write a book like this again
THANKS
I am reading this book for school, and i have to write a book report on it and i am haveing a hard time reading it. I think its really confusing.
i liked it really good cant wait 2 read all Gail Giles books.
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this was an awesomeeeee boook! i just finished reading it for school. definitley reccomend it.
I find it extremely interesting that the author felt it important to use foul language to entice the teenagers to read this book. Personally I felt that this book would be better for the parents to read. It is a very dark emotional book and definitely should be for older teens and I don’t think that the synopsis prepares one for what the book truly is about.
Ok I hate to read but my teacher gave your book to me and i loved the book. I didnt want to put it down. Your book is the first book that i actualy finished reading.
this was a GOOD book!!!!! i loved it. I didn’t want to put down the book when i started. It was so good i wanted to see what would happen next. Keep on writing Gail Giles
i think that this book was awesome. it explains true life and keeps you reading. i had to read this book for summer reading. i hate reading but i am glad that this book was on the list.