Period 8

Crutcher, C. (2013). Period 8. New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Paul Baum aka Paulie Bomb is a popular athletic senior at Heller High. Not only is Paulie popular, but he is also honest and he can’t tell lies. So he decides to confess to his girlfriend Hannah his mistake, which alters their relationship as they put their trust on someone they shouldn’t. All the students in Period 8 including Paulie and Hannah use the class as a way to be honest and real. No topic is off limits and the only rule is that you have to be honest and true with what you share. That class was supposed to be a safe haven, but it wasn’t. Unknowingly, they were sharing their secrets and being manipulated by someone they trusted in that class and things get even more complicated when a girl from Period 8 disappears. Crutcher combines several elements of dark modern realistic fiction in his novel such as violence, anger, revenge, and even elements of an exciting mystery. His novel has fast action, plenty of suspense, and a clear cut conclusion which are the novel’s major strengths.