Ten Hours to Live (Puffin Teenage Books) Book

"I'm a prisoner waiting to be sentenced" is the dramatic opening gambit to this book about the agony of teenage love; the waiting and wondering, the heady highs and the deep frustration of unrequited love. Eighteen-year-old Ben is besotted with fifteen-year-old Sophie, but his rival for her affections, Ryan, has stolen a march on him. Ben's disappointment is tangible; he daydreams about her, rehearses encounters with her and even writes her into one of his playscripts. Six weeks pass before the wide-eyed Sophie is unceremoniously dumped by Ryan. Distressed by this sudden rejection, she takes it out on herself, nearly fatally injuring herself. Ben, or "Sir Lancelot" as she affectionately calls him, is on hand to comfort Sophie following her ordeal. All is well and Ben enjoys many euphoric weeks with Sophie, until one flippant remark causes the overly sensitive Sophie to flee without explanation. Long weeks of guilt and self-recrimination follow, with Ben chastising himself for his thoughtless conduct. Trouble starts to brew on other fronts as well though, when his parents express concern that his school work is suffering. Ben feels that only he is suffering, but then an unexpected guest arrives at a gathering of friends. Pete Johnson writes with a clear understanding of young people and the dilemmas they face as they grapple with the highs and lows of first love. Teenagers will enjoy this book, finding it easy to identify with the characters and taking comfort that they are not alone.Read More