"Shepard is masterly at setting up our heartbreak [and] is at his most brilliant in capturing the demented essence of junior high."-
The New York Times Book Review "An energetic and often wickedly funny story of alienation and revenge." -
Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Shepard obviously has a lock on the new American paranoia, and his voice should be essential reading. . . . Here is the effect of [Shepard's] books: A reader finishes them buzzing with awe, with respect, and yet, with a great deal of worry." -
Chicago Tribune
"Jim Shepard brings to his depiction of these lost boys a striking insight and even humor. They're so real, they nearly jump off the page into the nearest schoolyard, which makes it all the more chilling." -
The Boston Globe