Blade: Out of the Shadows
Gr 8 Up–Blade, 14, wakes up in the hospital and is badly injured. He can't remember how he got there, or who did the damage. He remembers flashes of a girl, Becky, but she has an evil side he calls Bex. Blade talks to an imaginary friend he calls Bigeyes, as he first escapes from the hospital and then is on the run or battling evil forces. It is hard for readers to know who is after him or why. The story is a fast-paced series of chase and fight scenes, and it is peppered throughout with British street slang that, while understandable by textual clues, will either be cool or frustrating depending on readers. Reading Blade (Philomel, 2009) may help make sense of this title, and the rapid action may be a selling point to some readers.Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.