As a parent Spiked! is the most frightening book I have ever read. The characters are utterly believable and so are their situations. The ease with which Debra, a sensible, mature and intelligent 16-year old, is abducted is terrifying. However it is not scaremongering or sensationalist and there is a satisfying resolution at the end.

This is a classic mystery thriller. It is very cleverly written, enough information is given to imply that several people could have done it and the reader is constantly trying to sort out the clues from the red herrings. This makes it impossible to put down. More importantly the reader begins to understand the mind of the victim and her attempts to block out what happened conflicting with her attempts to confront the truth. We also see the devastation wrought on those around her, not just her family but also her friends and the others who find suspicion falls on them. Even the role of the tabloids in stirring up hysteria and the ease with which someone can be drawn into the unregulated world of the internet and the consequences of believing that looking at internet porn is a victimless crime are considered.

I will certainly be telling my Year 11s, girls and boys, to read it. It is a compelling read and I’m sure my students, especially the confident, intelligent ones who think something like this could never possibly happen to them, will learn from it. This book would work well in Y11, although exam pressures means there would not be time to study it within an English class – however there is certainly opportunity here for a discussion in PSHE or Citizenship.

2007-12-29