Only a very good writer could pull off a can’t-put-it-down story that takes place almost entirely in the space of a few hours, on one bus ride. But things go quickly from awkward to bad to worse to disastrous to satisfying, and the characters are delightfully real and fully-formed.

I slip into the empty seat next to the emergency exit. I figure here, at least, I’ll be left alone. But the guy dressed in a black hoodie pulled low over this face turns in his seat to look at me. He’s wearing black lipstick. And what little hair I can see is dyed black. His face is pale, like he never sees the sun. There are circles under his eyes like he never sleeps. The guy is the Grim Reaper. All emo.

Everyone can relate to the new kid at school who becomes an immediate target for bullies, and as any rider knows, no bus driver can prevent things from happening in the rear seats of a school bus. Nor does the “leave me alone” and “I’m better than you rural hicks” attitude of the protagonist help his case. There’s a ton of tension and just enough underlying humor in this book to make it a winner. The bonus is that it’s a fast, easy read, so simple to pick up and get into.

- P.W.