Boy Heaven

Seventeen-year-old Kristy Sweetland is a pretty, blonde cheerleader away for the summer at cheer camp. Bored out of her mind, Kristy and her best friend, Desiree, join up with fellow camper Kristi to skip the cheer camp practices and hit Lovers Lake. Perfect, sunny days do not happen often, so why waste the chance to get a good tan and chill on the beach? The girls stop at a sketchy gas station to fuel up on diet sodas and candy bars. Of course, the three cute girls in shorts and bathing suits catch the attention of two "grubby" guys hanging out in their car. Kristy makes the mistake of smiling at the guys, which completely freaks out Desiree and Kristi. Quick to hit the road, the girls are shocked when the guys begin to follow them. Intending to give them the thrill of their lives, all three girls flash the guys when they pass at a steep turnaround. Once back at camp, the girls laugh off the incident and are proud of themselves for getting rid of the guys. All of a sudden, though, strange things start happening around the camp. Kristi hears all sorts of noises, including screeches and crunching branches. Then she feels like someone is always watching her and claims she talked to the guys out in the woods. The girls begin to believe these guys are stalking them at camp, yet they can't prove anything. Each girl handles the stress of the situation completely differently. Desiree hooks up with a hot lifeguard and becomes intent on meeting him out in the woods alone. Kristi refuses to eat or shower, essentially becoming a prisoner in her cabin. Kristy thinks back on her life and how things could have been different for her. With Kristi essentially out of commission, Desiree and Kristy find themselves in for the shock of their lives one night out at Lovers Lake. The ending twist of BOY HEAVEN is not to be missed. I found myself speeding through this book to find out what exactly happened to the three girls. The suspense builds with each page and the end is straight out of an urban legend. A must-read for fans of thrills and chills. Reviewed by: Samantha G.

...and not just for young adults. I am a mother to an eighteen-year-old daughter and I was compelled to read this novel to the end in just two sittings. Kasischke's take on an urban legend through the lives of three teenage girls and the boys they touch is riveting. Although I was much different as a teen than the girls portrayed in this novel, Kasischke brings in many familiar adolescent details--emotions, group and individual behaviors--things I haven't thought about in years. I felt like I knew these girls, and that I had more in common with them than I'd want to admit. The plot is fast-paced and glimmers with sexy danger. Kasischke's use of language in this novel is just gorgeous. Every image contributes to the plot in crucial ways. "Boy Heaven" is one of the most expertly crafted stories I've read in a while; every image means something, every character feels real, every plot line is explored fully. I can't wait for my daughter to finish it so we can talk about the surprise ending. This book is girl heaven!

"The Hitchcock ending to this story of teenage love will shock and surprise you."

The seventeen years old girls snuck out of Pine Ridge Cheerleading Camp in a red convertible Mustang belonging to the ring leader Kristy. Accompanying her on their drive through the Blanc Coeur National Forest to skinny dip at Lover's Lake are her best friend Desiree and some other camper Kristi ending in I instead of a Y. With back seat Kristi whining, Kristy stop for gas at a remote station where the guys appreciate the beautifully tanned long legged teens. The trio quickly knows they made a bad error judgment when they chose to sneak out of camp; for they are being stalked by two guys from the gas station. Wherever the trio may be these males are there watching, waiting, and lurking whether it is during practice, or even inside their cabin. Always nearby is a battered station wagon as their shadows relentlessly haunt and haunt them. This is an action-packed exciting thriller that never slows down from the moment the counselor begins to tell the eerie tale of the three teens to her audience and never slows down until she finishes her "true story". The three girls have differing personalities with each coping differently to the stalking. The weird boys are obviously deranged and dangerous leaving notes in beds, parking anywhere the girls will be which adds to the threat of them harming their targets. The climax will stun young adult readers who will not see it coming as Laura Kasischke takes her audience on a creepy joy ride along BOY HEAVEN ridge. Harriet Klausner

Boy Heaven is a modern-day urban legend that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until they reach its shocking conclusion. One afternoon, three girls sneak away from cheerleading camp, planning to drive to a nearby lake. The teenagers never quite make it there. While at the gas station, the beautiful driver - Kristy Sweetland, the narrator of the tale - attracts the unwanted attention of two boys. On the drive back, the girls attempt to lose the boys, but the narrator's best friend, Desiree, is an insatiable flirt. She prompts them to do something that only increases the boys' interest. They do eventually lose the guys and head back to camp, thinking nothing of it. As the days go on, two of the girls think they see the boys spying on them, and one of the girls receives a threatening note in her bunk. The situation affects each girl differently: Kristy reflects on past events that have shaped her, such as the loss of her father; Desiree starts a risky relationship with a cute lifeguard; and the third girl, Kristi "with an I," becomes withdrawn and anorexic. The vast majority of Boy Heaven is told in first person from Kristy's point of view. However, the book begins and ends in third person as the story is told around a campfire, furthering its set-up as an urban legend. Fans of Lois Duncan ought to pick this book up. The writing style is fresh, the plot intricate, and the settings and characters quite detailed, making Boy Heaven one of this summer's most intriguing pageturners.