Running Girl

By Author / Illustrator

Simon Mason

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

David Fickling Books

ISBN

9781910200674

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-06-2015

Synopsis

Meet Garvie Smith. Highest IQ ever recorded at Marsh Academy. Lowest ever grades. What's the point? Life sucks. Nothing surprising ever happens.Until Chloe Dow's body is pulled from a pond. His ex-girlfriend.DI Singh is already on the case. Ambitious, uptight, methodical - he's determined to solve the mystery - and get promoted. He doesn't need any 'assistance' from notorious slacker, Smith.Or does he?

Reviews

Wow! Garvie Smith is an unusual teen protaganist; lazy, sarcastic, into smoking and hanging about with his mates at his local park. He is also ferociously intelligent with a high IQ, which comes in handy when he is compelled to solve the mystery of a murdered local school girl. This story will grip you and keep you hooked throughout its twists and turns, at times Garvie will make you wince with his sarcasm as he antagonizes the Detective in charge of the case and remains one step ahead of them in solving the mystery, but we can also sympathize with him as he faces the usual teen struggles with school and at home. It's a great plot with some fantastic characters. Garvie is definitely a Sherlock Holmes for older teens today with his flaws, vices and incredible powers of observation and deduction. A perfect teen read. 448 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Jess Locke, school librarian