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Title: Mojo
Author: Tim Tharp
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 9, 2013
Page Count: 288
Where I got: Randombuzzers through their Ambuzzador program.
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 16.99 Hardcover 12.45 Kindle 10.99
Format I read it in: Print ARC
Description/Blurb:
All Dylan wants is mojo. What is mojo? It’s power. The ability to command respect. It’s everything Dylan doesn’t have. He gets no respect at school, and when he finds the dead body of a classmate, even the police push him around. All the thanks he gets for trying to help the investigation with his crime drama skills is a new nickname at school: Body Bag. So when Dylan hears about a missing rich girl from the other side of town, he jumps at the chance to dive into this mystery. Surely if he cracks a case involving a girl this beautiful and this rich, he’ll get not only a hefty cash reward, but the mojo he’s looking for.
His investigation takes him into the world of an elite private high school and an underground club called Gangland. As Dylan—along with his loyal friends Audrey and Randy—falls down the rabbit hole, lured by the power of privilege, he begins to lose himself. And the stakes of the game keep getting higher.
My Thoughts: [rating=4]
I had applied a while back for the Ambuzzador Program through RandomBuzzers, a division of Random House, not expecting anything and not even knowing what book would be coming if I was selected. So when Mojo showed up in my mailbox, I had to do some serious backtracking to figure out where it had come from.
I really had no idea what to expect when I read the book. It didn’t seem like my usual kind of book, but I entered into it with a very open mind. I had a few false starts, having started reading the book when I first got it, and then setting it aside for some books with more pressing deadlines. I picked the book up again a few days ago and read through it completely. It was nothing like what I expected and yet, completely and totally blew me away.
I am giving it four stars only because there were a few scenes that are just a little too far fetched for me. I mean, realistically, what would you do if you landed in a dumpster next to a dead body? Would you be able to remain calm and stay there trying to hide from the dudes chasing you? Because let me tell you, I would have completely crapped my pants and screamed like the girl I am.
The characters, though, for the most part were believable and well rounded, fitting in with the story line well. With one notable exception. Randy really bugged me and I am not sure why. Something about him just seemed. Irritating and annoying. Maybe I have a bias against characters who serve no purpose other than to run their mouths and cause drama. Maybe that is my issue and I should not take it out on authors. But lets be honest, if we have a character in a book that bugs us, it is going to affect how we feel about the book, right? I am not alone in this, am I?
But the storyline was awesome. The rich kids versus the “wrong side of the tracks” concept? I could totally see it going down like that. Fair warning to those faint of heart, however, is that this book does get a bit violent. There is death and drugs and illegal activity, and if your sensibilities are offended by such things, you should not read this book.
Amazon bills this book as suitable for 12 and up, but I am not sure I agree with that. I would not feel comfortable recommending this one to someone under 15 unless they had a very solid maturity level and were able to clearly and securely separate fiction from reality, but that is just my “mom” point of view on that one.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via RandomBuzzers in exchange for a fair and honest review and also help in promoting this new release. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so. Click this link to read more on Goodreads.