Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
ISBN: 978-0-3162-0698-8
Patterson, J. & Paetro, M. (2012). Confessions of a murder suspect. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Plot Summary
Tandy Angel, short for Tandoori, lives a secluded, but privileged life at the Dakota in New York City. She is extremely intelligent, on a genius level, in control of her emotions, and nearly the perfect child in her parent’s eyes. Life is suddenly turned around for Tandy and her three brothers when their parents are found dead in their bedroom. The police immediately suspect the Angel children because Dakota security is notoriously heavy and there are no signs of a break-in. Tandy decides she will find out who killed her parents, even if all clues lead to a member of her family.
All the Angel children are special. Matthew, the eldest, is a Heisman Trophy winning football player who is the fastest in the league. Harry, Tandy’s twin, is a magnificent musician and artist, playing at Carnegie Hall at only eleven years of age. Hugo, the youngest, is amazingly strong, a child weightlifter of sorts. As Tandy investigates she begins to learn the secrets her parents kept closely guarded, secrets that will affect the futures of the Angel children and those closest to them.
Critical Evaluation
Patterson’s latest series for teens falls short of his excellent Maximum Ride novels. Though the protagonist, Tandy, vows to solve the mystery, there is little mystery solving. Much of her method involves spying on her siblings without any kind of deductive reasoning or procedural investigating. The answer, discovered by chance, will leave readers wondering ‘that’s it?’ For someone with a genius IQ, Tandy is surprisingly normal, and her family wholly uninteresting. Connections with the characters are not created, and even their unique traits are unmemorable. However, Tandy is likeable, though flawed, and when she is questioned by the police repeatedly anticipation grows that Tandy will outsmart them. The trademark Patterson chapters are present, seeming more like sentence punctuation than actual chapters. Narrated by Tandy, she admits being unreliable, yet why she is unreliable is unclear. The cast of nosy neighbors serves as red herrings, and are mere annoyances in a book already filled with unnecessary characters. Only Patterson’s name and reputation will keep this book from floundering. Hopefully the characters will catch their stride in the next novel, because the premise is good, but the execution flawed.
Reader’s Annotation
Tandy leads a privileged life until her parents are found dead in their bedroom. A trail of mystery and drugs follow as police zero in on Tandy and her siblings as the murderers.
About the Author
James Patterson is one of the most successful adult authors. Patterson’s books have sold 260 million copies worldwide, has had five new hardcover novels debut at #1 every year since 2005, has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds the Guinness World Record for most Hardcover Fiction titles by a single author with 76 books. Some of Patterson’s novels have been turned into Hollywood movies, including the Alex Cross novels with the title character portrayed by Morgan Freeman. Patterson’s first young adult series, Maximum Ride is currently being filmed.
James Patterson was born in New York in 1947. He attended Manhattan College and Vanderbilt University earning both a bachelor and master degree in English. Patterson first worked in advertising, but retired in 1996 and turned to writing fulltime. Patterson is a prolific writer, and signed a deal in 2009 to write 11 adult books and 6 young adult books by the end of 2012. He has founded four programs that encourage reading and literacy, including the James Patterson PageTurner Awards that donated $100,000 to companies and people with creative ways to spread books and reading. Patterson currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida with his wife and son.
Genre
Mystery Thriller
Curriculum Ties
Effect of drugs
Booktalking
Tandy had the choice of continuing her pills, or stopping, which is better?
The Angel children received Big Chops when they misbehaved. Were these appropriate punishments, or on the level of abuse?
Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: 5th grade
IL: 6th grade and up
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues may include suicide, suspected patricide, possible pregnancy out of wedlock, and a brief extramarital homosexual relationship
In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for book inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a book is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the book fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire book was read, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have read the book and either enjoyed or disliked the book and why.
Why Included
James Patterson is a well-known author of both adult and young adult fiction. I have enjoyed his Maximum Ride series, and was looking forward to this newest series.
Others in the Series
N/A This is the first
References
Hachette Book Group. (2013). About james: Biography. Retrieved from http://www.jamespatterson.com/about_biography.php#.UVHwCxlAus0
James Patterson. (2013, April 14). Retrieved March 20, 2013 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Patterson
ISBN: 978-0-3162-0698-8
Patterson, J. & Paetro, M. (2012). Confessions of a murder suspect. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Plot Summary
Tandy Angel, short for Tandoori, lives a secluded, but privileged life at the Dakota in New York City. She is extremely intelligent, on a genius level, in control of her emotions, and nearly the perfect child in her parent’s eyes. Life is suddenly turned around for Tandy and her three brothers when their parents are found dead in their bedroom. The police immediately suspect the Angel children because Dakota security is notoriously heavy and there are no signs of a break-in. Tandy decides she will find out who killed her parents, even if all clues lead to a member of her family.
All the Angel children are special. Matthew, the eldest, is a Heisman Trophy winning football player who is the fastest in the league. Harry, Tandy’s twin, is a magnificent musician and artist, playing at Carnegie Hall at only eleven years of age. Hugo, the youngest, is amazingly strong, a child weightlifter of sorts. As Tandy investigates she begins to learn the secrets her parents kept closely guarded, secrets that will affect the futures of the Angel children and those closest to them.
Critical Evaluation
Patterson’s latest series for teens falls short of his excellent Maximum Ride novels. Though the protagonist, Tandy, vows to solve the mystery, there is little mystery solving. Much of her method involves spying on her siblings without any kind of deductive reasoning or procedural investigating. The answer, discovered by chance, will leave readers wondering ‘that’s it?’ For someone with a genius IQ, Tandy is surprisingly normal, and her family wholly uninteresting. Connections with the characters are not created, and even their unique traits are unmemorable. However, Tandy is likeable, though flawed, and when she is questioned by the police repeatedly anticipation grows that Tandy will outsmart them. The trademark Patterson chapters are present, seeming more like sentence punctuation than actual chapters. Narrated by Tandy, she admits being unreliable, yet why she is unreliable is unclear. The cast of nosy neighbors serves as red herrings, and are mere annoyances in a book already filled with unnecessary characters. Only Patterson’s name and reputation will keep this book from floundering. Hopefully the characters will catch their stride in the next novel, because the premise is good, but the execution flawed.
Reader’s Annotation
Tandy leads a privileged life until her parents are found dead in their bedroom. A trail of mystery and drugs follow as police zero in on Tandy and her siblings as the murderers.
About the Author
James Patterson is one of the most successful adult authors. Patterson’s books have sold 260 million copies worldwide, has had five new hardcover novels debut at #1 every year since 2005, has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds the Guinness World Record for most Hardcover Fiction titles by a single author with 76 books. Some of Patterson’s novels have been turned into Hollywood movies, including the Alex Cross novels with the title character portrayed by Morgan Freeman. Patterson’s first young adult series, Maximum Ride is currently being filmed.
James Patterson was born in New York in 1947. He attended Manhattan College and Vanderbilt University earning both a bachelor and master degree in English. Patterson first worked in advertising, but retired in 1996 and turned to writing fulltime. Patterson is a prolific writer, and signed a deal in 2009 to write 11 adult books and 6 young adult books by the end of 2012. He has founded four programs that encourage reading and literacy, including the James Patterson PageTurner Awards that donated $100,000 to companies and people with creative ways to spread books and reading. Patterson currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida with his wife and son.
Genre
Mystery Thriller
Curriculum Ties
Effect of drugs
Booktalking
Tandy had the choice of continuing her pills, or stopping, which is better?
The Angel children received Big Chops when they misbehaved. Were these appropriate punishments, or on the level of abuse?
Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: 5th grade
IL: 6th grade and up
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues may include suicide, suspected patricide, possible pregnancy out of wedlock, and a brief extramarital homosexual relationship
In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for book inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a book is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the book fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire book was read, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have read the book and either enjoyed or disliked the book and why.
Why Included
James Patterson is a well-known author of both adult and young adult fiction. I have enjoyed his Maximum Ride series, and was looking forward to this newest series.
Others in the Series
N/A This is the first
References
Hachette Book Group. (2013). About james: Biography. Retrieved from http://www.jamespatterson.com/about_biography.php#.UVHwCxlAus0
James Patterson. (2013, April 14). Retrieved March 20, 2013 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Patterson
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