Still Waters by Ash Parsons

How I Heard About It:  During a recent visit to my local library I ran across this title in the audio section.  I was looking for something new to listen to while driving to and from work.  I was particularly interested in a young-adult story and this one seemed to fit that bill.  I knew nothing of it, but thought I would give it a try.  

What It Is About:  All Jason really wants to do is survive his senior year in high school, survive the abuse from his father, and earn enough money to get himself and his younger sister out of town and away from their dad.  When the "in" kid Michael approaches Jason with a plan and a lot of money, Jason thinks his luck is finally changing.  At first all Jason has to do is "hang" out with Michael and his "crowd."  They aren't Jason's types of friends, but since he is being paid, he goes along with it.  Plus Michael's girlfriend appears to like Jason and he is interested in seeing how far that will go.  As Michael keeps paying Jason, the requirements of their "fake friendship" get deeper and deeper.  Jason begins to doubt whether this arrangement is worth it, but keeps thinking he needs to get his sister and himself away from their life.  When Jason realizes and learns what Michael is truly doing, it might be too late for everyone involved.  

What I Thought Of It:  Overall I really enjoyed listening to this audio story.  The plot was engaging and quite interesting.  There were times when I thought some of the events got a bit far fetched, but I just went with it and enjoy the suspense and mystery of what Michael was up to and how this was going to affect Jason.  Sometimes it was hard to believe high school kids would be able to pull off all the "escapades", but again I tried not to get too caught up in that.  I thought the character of Jason was developed quite well and was a protagonist that was likable and wove his way into my heart.  

Who Should Read It:  In my opinion, I think this would make for a great read for the high school reader.  I know they would enjoy reading about the different types of high school students and how they all relate to each other.  They would also find the "situation" Jason is in to be captivating, entertaining, and just plain fun.  There is lots of suspense and mystery throughout the story which will keep all readers interested.  I also think adult readers would find this an enjoyable read.  The narration of this book was excellent so taking the audio path with this book would also be a recommendation.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars