Last Ride (Orca Soundings)
Street racing used to be 16-year-old Tom�s passion�until the night his best friend, Logan, was killed in a friendly race turned deadly. Now Tom�s navigating a life lived at regular speeds, forced to endure being called a wuss and taunted by his repair-shop boss, who�s going to possess Tom�s beloved ride unless Tom pays for fixing up the car�the kind of money he can only make by racing. Langston has a good feel for the adrenaline rush of being behind the wheel of a souped-up racer, and she indulges in showier prose than most titles in the Orca Soundings series: �I�m in the zone. At one with my steel shell.� She also piles on the narrative stresses with chapter-by-chapter efficiency: the medical bills from Tom�s accident are crushing his family; the girl Tom likes will hate him if he races again; Logan�s little sister wants Tom to attend a memorial; and Logan�s ghost might just be haunting Tom. There�s never much doubt where this is heading, but it is nevertheless a satisfying ride. Grades 5-8. --Daniel Kraus