Three Days by Donna Jo Napoli
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.09, 2012, under Battle of the Books 2012-2013, Grief, Multicultural Fiction, Sam's Reviews, Thriller
Who would like this book? People grades 5 through 8 who like first-person narrative thrillers. If you liked Stolen Children from last year’s OBOB books, chances are good that you’ll like Three Days.
Why? Jackie, 11 years old, has been enjoying being in Italy with her father during his business trip. It’s her first experience in Italy and she doesn’t know the language, so she depends on her father for everything. As they drive back to their hotel after a delicious dinner in Rome, tragedy strikes. Her father collapses and dies after slowing the car to a safe stop by the road. Alone in the darkness of a country road in a strange country and stricken with grief, Jackie tries to stay logical about what to do. When two men stop to help her, she is relieved and climbs into their car. Will they get help for her dad and help her get home to her mother, or do they have another agenda? Through Jackie’s eyes, the reader finds out what happens to her as well as what she thinks and feels as it happens. Her narration about the characters and their complex emotions and intentions makes this book a riveting thriller.
The details: 151 pp. 2001 Review by Samrarian
