Spider by Linda Strachan

Spider follows three characters, Andy, Deanna, and of course Spider, with sections told by each. They're teenagers, who go joyriding, and the book is about the consequences of that activity. The three of them are pretty one-dimensional though - Spider is a troubled teen, Deanna is his enthralled girlfriend, and Andy is basically a sidekick. The most interesting character is Hilton, a policeman who is rather sympathetic towards the three kids, whilst still disapproving. We don't see enough of him. The problem with this book is that it's written with a teen audience in mind, but comes over as too simplistic. I'm not sure how teens nowadays will view a book about joyriding, but given the success of the Grand Theft Auto Series, I doubt they'll be too shocked. The plot keeps the attention well enough, and Spider is a quick read, but it's rather a glum one in the end. [David Agnew]