SHUT UP by Marilyn Reynolds

SHUT UP is about a boy named Mario and what he and his family goes through. First his mother gets shipped off to Iraq and Mario and his little brother Eddie stays at their Aunt Carmen's house. Now, Aunt Carmen has a boyfriend named Denton whom she thinks is the most perfect man in the world, but he has a secret. Denton is a pedophile and he is after Eddie. So, Mario protects Eddie, as he had promised his mother, but he ends up losing what was once importance to him, including a girl but turns out she wasn't all that. In the end, Mario becomes more aware of what he wants to do in life instead of being a firefighter and knows what's really important besides parties.

You should take action if you know any information about someone getting hurt. People should not just think about themselves, they need to help their friends and people that they know who are in trouble. People can not just stand by the sidelines when they know someone is getting hurt.

SHUT UP is a really good read. It really makes you more aware about the world and how people really treat one another when they are in trouble. SHUT UP will make you annoyed and angry at the characters, but nevertheless it is a fantastic book. It does have inappropriate content, so be aware of that.

Recommended for grades 9-12.


JN in Howland