Title: Blank Confession
Author: Pete Hautman
Format: hardcover, 170 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Source: library
Published: November 2010 by Simon & Schuster
Shayne Blank is the new kid in town--but that doesn't stop him from getting into a lot of trouble very quickly. The other kids don't understand him. He's not afraid of anything. He seems too smart. And his background doesn't add up. But when he walks into the police department to confess to a murder, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. There's more to Shayne--and his story--than meets the eye. As the details begin to fill in, the only thing that becomes clear is that nothing about Shayne's story is clear at all.
Why I Read this Book: I didn’t know about Blank Confession until I saw it at the library one day. I was pursuing the new stock in the Teen section when I stumbled across this book. The first thing that caught my attention was the title. Well, that and the length of this book – it’s short. So I picked it up off the shelf and read the blurb. I thought to myself that’s an interesting premise. Then I noticed who the author is – it’s the same guy who wrote How to Steal A Car. I thought that book was a quirky, yet fun read so I took Blank Confession home with me.
What I Liked: Blank Confession is a different kind of book. Even though it’s Shayne’s confession, most of the story is told from Mikey’s POV. The reader gets the most detail on Mikey, his life and his background. The reader does get part of the story from Detective Rawls POV as he is interviewing Shayne, as well as a bit from Shayne’s POV during his confession, but Mikey is the main character in this book. Oh, but don’t worry about the multiple POVs; each chapter is labeled with who’s POV you’re getting so it doesn’t get jumbled. The outcome with the different POVs interconnecting with one another is seamless.
Blank Confession is a slightly complex story, in that you think all the evidence will be there right in front of you. Instead, there’s more going on than you think and it’s through Shayne, Mikey and Detective Rawls’ insight that sheds light to the true happenings at hand. It goes a lot deeper than what you see on the surface.
The author possesses a unique way of grabbing the reader right from the start with what appears to be a simple premise. And don’t let the size of this book fool you. It may be on the short side, but it reads like a 250+ paged novel. No shortcomings here. Everything was thought out and executed well.
What I Didn’t Like: At first, I was a bit bothered that most of the story was told from Mikey’s POV. I mean, it’s Shayne’s story to tell; it’s his confession. But I can now see why the author did this.
Overall Impression: There is more to the story than what first appears in Blank Confession. While the main focal point may be the actual confession and the murder in question, it goes deeper than that. Blank Confession took me by surprise. Another quick, quirky read by this author. I don’t know how this book has stayed under the radar but this fascinating concept and thought-provoking read is one you surely won’t want to miss.
The Book Vixen’s Rating:
I agree completely! I was surprised at how much depth the author managed to squeeze out of so few pages. I was nodding along with everything you wrote. Do you mind if I include a link to your review in my own review?
ReplyDeleteGood that you stumbled upon it :D Always good to find a book out of the blue
ReplyDeleteSmall Review - emailed you :)
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