My recent read, FLUSH by Carl Hiaasen, is a great example of this type of book. It has:
A great beginning that hooks the reader
The deputy told me to empty my pockets: two quarters, a penny, a stick of bubble gum, and a roll of grip tape for my skateboard. It was pitiful.
"Go on inside. He's waiting for you," the deputy said.
My dad was sitting alone at a bare metal table. He looked pretty good, all things considered. He wasn't even handcuffed.
"Happy Father's Day," I said.
(I dare you not to want to read more after that!)
Memorable characters
Paine Underwood- who is jailed for trying to prevent a floating casino from dumping raw sewage into the Florida Keys.
Noah Underwood- his son who supports his dad's crusade--even when his father gives up on it himself. (his name really fits him!)
Abbey Underwood- Noah's tough younger sister who has a very mean bite.
Donna Underwood- who is tired of her husband Paine's crusades. She vacillates between understanding him and thinking he is a selfish jerk who she should divorce.
Antagonists that readers love to hate
Dusty Muleman- the greedy, scrupulous casino operator (his name fits him too).
Jasper Jr. Muleman- Dusty's bully son and Noah's #1 enemy.
Interesting Minor Characters
Shelley- a bartender with an attitude, guts, and her own axe to grind against Dusty.
Grandpa Bobby- a mistaken pirate with a wild past.
Conflict
You name it, this book has it. Man vs. nature; man vs. man; man vs. self; man vs. a machine. It's all here.
A great ending where the main character solves the problem
For that you'll have to read the book.
And I'm going to help you do that by giving away a copy of this book!
Here are the rules to enter:
1. You have to be between 11-15 to win.
2. You have to follow this blog.
3. You have to leave a comment with your email address AND Facebook, Twitter, or email this post to one friend (or have a significant adult in your life post it on Facebook or Twitter. That works too.)
So....
If you're already a follower--get going! If you're not a follower, sign up now! Contest is up November 7th.
If you don't fall into that age category you can:
1. Tell your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or student(s) to enter.
2. Hop over to Joyce Hostetter's and my latest issue of Talking Story where we have 3 other giveaways going on right now. No age restrictions apply!
Happy Reading...and oh yes, don't forget to FLUSH!
