Book Review            
All Rise                                
by Paul Wagner      about the author
Publisher: iUniverse.com, Inc
ISBN: 0-595-09151-2                                                      Review by SirTeen

    Suppose you suddenly found yourself on trial. There you are sitting in the courtroom
(innocent, of course) being accused of terrible things by people you don’t know, including
official people like cops and district attorneys. Also staring at you are a judge and twelve
other strangers who have the power to put you in jail for years and years. The evidence
they hear says you’re guilty!
    In this novel, the author engulfs you in just such an experience through the
eyes of his main character, 16-year old Francis Kelly.  Kelly, along with three teammates
from his high school basketball team, is charged with robbing a convenience store and
brutally beating its staff and customers because of racial hatred. We hear witnesses
testify, see evidence presented---like photographs, jackets, fingerprints, and a video
recording of the crime taking place. The perpetrators wore masks, so there is room for
reasonable doubt. But is it enough to offset all the other evidence?
    As the trial progresses, we also share Kelly’s life outside the courtroom—meet his girl,
his family, his lawyer, and his one good friend, a Native American named William Tall Bear.
    More than a courtroom drama, All Rise is an inside look at one teen’s harrowing
introduction to adult society and some of the choices he must learn to make. The story
ends with a twist that will appeal to lovers of the whodunit genre.
    This book is by the author of The Houseboat Murders, Just One Mo, The Stove Creek Butcher, Jock Jokes and Other Stories, and The A-Club Mystery. You can order any of these at your bookseller or on the internet  (amazon.com / barnesandnoble.com)

To submit a review of your latest read or a favorite book, click here.
                            book review list 

main / photos / jokes / stories / health / books / opinion / submissions / links / awards / e-mail to editor