The Accident

The Accident. Todd Strasser. New York: Delacorte Press, 1976. 178pp.

Four of Matt’s friends were dead and only one lived through the traumatic car accident. The boys were all at a party before the accident because Matt was so intoxicated he decided not to go with the other. The other kids were going up to a ski lodge in the mountains although they might no have known because they were all too intoxicated to be driving. Christopher Walsh was said to be the driver that night. Also dead were Randy Chapman, Susan Zorn, and Robert Stewart, who as the nephew of senator Stewart. After the accident mysterious things started happening to Matt. He has some interesting conversations and receives puzzling “clues” that seem to be telling him something is wrong. After seeing what people have done to the Walsh’s property, Matt feels terrible for the family and knows he has to do something. Risking a relationship with his girlfriend, Matt tracks down the clues and come to shocking conclusions. This book shows the consequences of drunk driving and the meaning of true friendship; an excellent audience for this book would be late junior high to high school level students.

THE ACCIDENT is an exciting book that you will not want to put down. This suspense book follows the case and shows reaction from all standpoints. Unlike other books of this genre this ending is not one that readers will predict. Matt’s determination is very convincing and gives the story a sort of “edge.” This is an excellent book and great for a quick read. If I were to give this book a rating it definitely deserves a nine.

Reviewed By: Morgan