League of Strays (review)

Starting her senior year at a new school leaves lonely Charlotte Brody with few chances to make new friends, especially when the popular girl who long bullied her transfers as welll. Charlotte is therefore intrigued when intense, charismatic Kade Harlin invites her to join his League of Strays, which proves to be a secret group of loners with dreams and ultimately plans for payback against unfair teachers and the popular clique. Despite misgivings about Kade's intentions and the group's increasingly cruel schemes, Charlotte plays along with her new crowd, drawn in by the sense of empowerment she gains from acting out and by Kade's attention. When acts of vandalism escalate to facilitation of a hate crime and then to plans for assault and possibly murder, Charlotte's initial trepidation intensifies and she finds the strength first to speak out and eventually act to stop Kade. A solid psychological thriller, this novel will find a fan base with readers who enjoy their vigilante justice with a heavy helping of vengeance. Charlotte's narration capably serves dual functions as both an exploration of her motives in joining the league and the story's moral compass, and Kade is successful as a frightening sociopath. Regrettably, the other strays are sympathetic but never emerge as more than stereotypes of high school outsiders, and Charlotte's moralizing conclusion that retribution is not the right course is ultimately false and hollow, since the story's draw comes from vicarious enjoyment of watching seemingly heartless bullies be punished. Readers looking for a suspenseful read about the power and destructive force of bullying would therefore be better served with Giles' Shattering Glass (BCCB 5/02) or Cormier's classic The Chocolate War (BCCB 7/74), but those who can't get enough of comeuppance tales may appreciate Charlotte's flirtation with vengeance.