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Michael Cadnum

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Rundown Kindle Edition

by Michael Cadnum (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

5 ratings

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Driven by something she cannot understand, a teenager tells a dangerous lie

In the last 16 days, 7 women have been assaulted by the South Bay rapist, and the students of UC Berkeley walk to class in fear. To the campus, he’s a terror. To Jennifer, he’s an opportunity. An overindulged high school student who feels unable to escape her older sister’s shadow, Jennifer is desperate for attention—no matter how she gets it. To steal the spotlight from her sister, she’s about to do something unspeakable.

Jennifer goes running in the canyon after dark. She throws herself through a bramble patch and staggers to the campus police, covered in scratches and blood. She was attacked by the South Bay rapist, she claims. She barely got away. When her lie spirals out of control, however, Jennifer realizes the spotlight is hotter than she can handle.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sophisticated teens will savor this psychological thriller by the author of Calling Home and In a Dark Wood. Set in the wealthy, self-indulgent Northern California culture that teens may interpret as the dark side of Clueless, Michael Cadnum skewers with deadly accuracy obsessions with body image, exquisite food, and the right clothes--and reveals the unspoken rage of kids who are given everything but attention. Cadnum's oblique but concrete style works to great advantage in this enigmatic story as he uses vivid images to convey experience--sights, sounds, smells, and tastes--but leaves the motivations of characters blank for the reader to fill in.

We witness Jennifer jogging at dusk, coolly flinging herself into the thorny blackberry brambles, tumbling down a slope, pausing to slam her hand against a pole, and then continuing up the road to find a police car and report that she has been the victim of an attempted rape. But why has she so carefully constructed this lie? Is it aimed at her beautiful and preoccupied parents, her domineering older sister, the boyfriend who has moved away, or her own emptiness? The deception soon takes over her life, and as a police detective backs her into a corner, Jennifer realizes there is only one way out. (Ages 14 and older) --Patty Campbell

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

“Deep, dark, and moving, this is a model tale of adolescent uneasiness set amid the roiling emotions of modern life.” —Kirkus Review

“Cadnum demonstrates his usual mastery of mood and characterization in this acutely observed portrait.” —Booklist --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Michael Cadnum is the author of 35 books for adults and young adults. His work—which includes thrillers, suspense novels, historical fiction, and books about myths and legends—has been nominated for the National Book Award (The Book of the Lion), the Edgar Award (Calling Home and Breaking the Fall), and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (In a Dark Wood). A former National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow, he is also the author of award-winning poetry. Seize the Storm (2012) is his most recent novel.

Michael Cadnum lives in Albany, California, with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up-A book about a younger sibling who craves attention while her family is preoccupied with her older sister's wedding. Jennifer, a high school student, claims to have been assaulted while jogging near the U.C. Berkeley campus. Her accusation is credible because a rapist has been active in the area over the past several weeks, so she gets plenty of attention and concern from her parents, her peers, her former boyfriend, the police, the media, etc. And, it makes her feel rotten. At first, only her beautiful, brilliant, self-centered sister, Cassandra, suspects the fabrication. But as the days progress, the police probe deeper, the solicitousness of friends becomes its own kind of torture, and the veneer of perfection that surrounds Jennifer's family wears ever thinner. She is increasingly unable to cope with her deliberate deception and is aware that it hasn't helped her face the realities in her life: her jealousy of Cassandra, her distress over her father's possible extramarital affair, and the distancing she feels from her mother. She attempts suicide, has second thoughts, and finally reaches out to the police detective who has been investigating the alleged crime. Deft characterization and adroit descriptions of setting and motivation raise Cadnum's writing above the commonplace. Readers may not always like the people who populate this book, but they will believe they are real. From the first sentence: "One month before my sister's wedding I did a terrible thing," teens will want to know what comes next.
Miriam Lang Budin, Mt. Kisco Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Readers will likely be both fascinated and repelled by the intricate web of deception woven by the 16-year-old narrator of this sometimes confusing psychological drama. Cadnum (Heat) shows rather than tells Jennifer's desperate need for affection and attention when she meticulously fakes an attack by a serial rapist, then reports it to the police. Her story about fending off the man gains her publicity and sympathy, but instead of feeling gratified, she suffers pangs of guilt and moments of panic. Her twisted relationships with her highly successful parents, her self-centered older sister and her ex-boyfriend are slowly revealed, providing insight into her personality. During the investigation of the case, Jennifer is terrified of being found out. At the same time, she longs to be freed from her lies. The author uses bold, dramatic strokes to paint a haunting portrait of his protagonist and, in his characteristically elliptical style, leaves plenty of blank space for readers to fill in. But while the pacing is as taut as ever, the narrative lacks the cohesion of Cadnum's best worksAreaders may wish that the author had shaded in some of the gaps. Ages 12-up. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Booklist

Teenager Jennifer Thayer does a terrible thing: she reports an attempted rape, but only she knows that she's lying, that the crime was never committed. As Jennifer has planned, the police think (and the media hope) that the "assault" is the work of a serial rapist who has been attacking women in the area. And for a while, Jennifer is the center of attention. The spotlight, which has always been trained on her spoiled older sister, Cassandra, is now focused on her. But then Jennifer makes a mistake. Cadnum demonstrates his usual mastery of mood and characterization in this acutely observed portrait of a wealthy girl whose jealousy of her sister is the motivation for her desperate act. This is a novel about voices--about family silences and failures of communication, about what is said and what is too often left unsaid. Those expecting a fast-paced novel of suspense will be disappointed, however. Cadnum seems to be less interested in plot than in creating an atmosphere of foreboding and exploring subtle nuances of character. He's wonderfully successful at both, but reading Rundown is ultimately like watching a Hitchcock movie in slow motion. Michael Cart --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

For a girl who isby most standardsnot perceived to be extraordinary, it is not easy living with a family of beautiful people. Jennifer Thayer both envies and resents her gourmet restaurateur/salad-dressing entrepreneur father, her industrial- psychologist mother who seems to care more about her work than about her younger daughter, and especially older sister Cass: lovely, talented, brainy, and preparing for marriage. Desperate for attention, Jennifer fakes an attempted rape, and at first, it works; for once in her life she is at center stage. Soon, however, the detective on the case figures out that something in the girl's story isn't right, and suspects that Jennifer's mother has been abusing her. Caught up in the net of lies, Jennifer has to decide whether or not she can live with a growing sense of shame and guilt. Once again, Cadnum (Heat, 1998, etc.) has dissected the mind of one of society's troubled young people, who has everything on the surface but is desperately trying to fill an unnamed emptiness. Deep, dark, and moving, this is a model tale of adolescent uneasiness set amid the roiling emotions of modern life. (Fiction. 12-14) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B013S436LY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Teen & Tween (September 29, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 29, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.4 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 179 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #4,512,139 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #407 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Sexual Abuse (Kindle Store)
- #1,043 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Sexual Abuse (Books)
- #1,151 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Self-Esteem

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Michael Cadnum

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Michael Cadnum is the author of nearly forty books, including the National Book Award finalist The Book of the Lion. A two-time Edgar Allen Poe Award nominee, and an award-winning poet, Cadnum's work is widely acclaimed. His most recent book is Kingdom, the long-awaited collection of poetry about the creatures in the world around us.

He lives in Albany, California, across the bay from San Francisco, with his wife Sherina.

For more of the latest on Cadnum and his work visit his website www.MichaelCadnum.com

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Shannen
disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2003

The concept of this book was interesting, and the beginning of it had potential, but towards the middle and definitely the end were disappointing. The ending made no sense, and the middle had little to do with the beginning and was uninteresting. The plot was unusual and could have been a much better story if written differently.

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John Zittel
An interesting premise, but runs out of steam
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 1999
I enjoyed the beginning of the book and was intrigued by Jennifer's staged crime. She seems to gain the attention she wanted but guilt soon consumes her. Most of the book after that seems to drag on. Several supporting characters offer sympathy to Jennifer, but not much happens to let us get to know these people very well. I agree with Horn Book's review that the characters are too sketchily drawn to care much about them or their motivations. I was hoping for a more emotionally charged novel but it seems to go flat in the middle and gets annoying at the end. What should have been an emotionally suspenseful ending just didn't tug at my emotions. I give Rundown three stars for it's strong beginning and interesting conflict, but it it got tired quickly. Needs Wheaties.

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HackySackJoe
All-Around Good Book
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2001
I thought that this book was very entertaining. The book was very detailed and was very easy to follow. Though the book did have a mis-leading ending, I will give it 5 stars because I thought that it was ver well written. (results not typical)

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David L. Hawkins
Boring...and amazing.
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2000
There were times when I really loved this book, and there were other where it was just too boring. Rundown is an ok book with a great premise behind it. If more if it appealed to me, I'd rate it higher. Also, the ending was terrible. Its still something that doesn't set right with me. It makes no sense.
This one had the chance to be amazing...but it just didn't work out.

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victory silvers
interesting set-up, but....
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2001
another book that was on my required reading list for school. it centers around jennifer thayer, daughter of two newly well-off parents who seem to care alot....about jennifer's older "perfect" sister. to get attention, jennifer fakes being assaulted, which brings on many more emotions then jennifer counted on. at first, i found the fast-moving action exciting, and the set-up promising. i even could identify with jennifer at some points. then, however, the story hit a point where i just didn't care anymore. to many side-plots that went nowhere were annoying. not the best book i've read, but not the worst.

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Michael Cadnum

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2.0 out of 5 stars disappointing

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting premise, but runs out of steam

5.0 out of 5 stars All-Around Good Book

3.0 out of 5 stars Boring...and amazing.

3.0 out of 5 stars interesting set-up, but....

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disappointing

An interesting premise, but runs out of steam

All-Around Good Book

Boring...and amazing.

interesting set-up, but....