Rag and Bone Shop

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This final novel from the grand master of young-adult fiction is one last jewel in the literary crown of Robert Cormier, who died in November 2000. In it he continues to explore the themes that are so characteristic of his work: guilt and forgiveness, misuse of authority, and the corruption of innocence. But a new book from Cormier is always a surprise, and here he gives us a brilliant evocation of the detective story, in a narrative that centers on the interrogation of a murder suspect.

A 7-year-old girl has been battered to death, and there are no suspects, no leads. The police, under political pressure to make an arrest, bring in Trent, a cold, ambitious professional interrogator who prides himself on his ability to extract confessions. His victim is 12-year-old Jason--the last person to see the girl. We know that Jason is innocent, and halfway through the interrogation Trent realizes it, too, in "a blazing moment." But like a medieval torturer, his goal is confession, not truth, and so he stifles his impulses for good and proceeds with the job, with deeply ironic consequences.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Robert Cormier, a man who had been called "the single most important writer in the whole history of young adult literature," died in 2000. Shortly before his death, he finished this gripping novel about a 12-year-old boy accused of murder. This story of a preteen's deadly predicament will stay in your memory forever. But would expect less from the author of The Chocolate War and I Am the Cheese?

ANNOTATION

Trent, an ace interrogator from Vermont, works to procure a confession from an introverted twelve-year-old accused of murdering his seven-year-old friend in Monument, Massachusetts.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Trent, an ace interrogator from Vermont, works to procure a confession from an introverted twelve-year-old accused of murdering his seven-year-old friend in Monument, Massachusetts.

SYNOPSIS

Twelve-year old Jason is accused of the brutal murder of a young girl. Is he innocent or guilty? The shocked town calls on an interrogator with a stellar reputation: he always gets a confession.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Cormier's (The Chocolate War) final novel, published posthumously, is characteristically dark and thought-provoking as he delves into "the foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart," (from the Yeats poem). The author offers an in-depth study of two complicated characters: Trent, an ambitious and renowned interrogator who holds a perfect record wrenching confessionals out of criminals, and 12-year-old Jason Dorrant, suspected of murdering his neighbor, seven-year-old Alicia Bartlett. The killing attracts much publicity plus the attention of a senator. The local police, anxious to solve the case quickly, call on the expertise of Trent to get Jason, the last person seen with the victim, to confess to the crime. The interview between Trent and Jason evolves into a taut, sinister mind game as the interrogation expert twists the boy's thoughts and manipulates his words. Jason parries the insinuations and accusations against him to the best of his ability, but finds himself questioning his own sense of reality. The tension mounts as it becomes increasingly evident that Trent is more concerned with getting Jason to say the words he wants to hear than discovering what really happened on the day Alicia died. The chilling results of the questioning will leave an indelible mark on readers and prompt heated discussions regarding the definition of guilt and the fine line between truth and deception. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Cormier's final novel offers an in-depth look at an interrogator and a 12-year old suspected of killing his neighbor. According to PW's starred review, "The chilling results will leave an indelible mark on readers and prompt heated discussions regarding the definition of guilt and the fine line between truth and deception." Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

VOYA

In his last novel, again set in fictional Monument, Massachusetts, Cormier relates the simple but shocking story of a boy wrongly accused of murder. Twelve-year-old Jason Dorrant was the last person to see seven-year-old Alicia Bartlett alive, so naturally he is called to police headquarters for questioning about the girl's murder. He arrives eager to help but nervous and self-doubting—the same characteristics he displays at school and with his peers. The police and district attorney are under great pressure from the media and an influential senator, whose grandson was Alicia's classmate, to make an arrest. So they bring in a ringer, Trent—a crack interrogator who always gets his confession. Most of the narrative describes his interrogation, held in a hot, windowless, cramped office in which Jason is broken down methodically by Trent. A twist at the end provides the story's true horror in familiar Cormier fashion. Constance Cormier's personal remembrance of her husband is printed at the book's beginning. In it, she states that he died before he was able to tinker with this manuscript, as was his habit. It shows, but not much. The dialogue is razor-sharp; Jason's thought process credibly demonstrates how and why he succumbs to the relentless interrogation; and the depth of Trent's character is revealed in flashbacks to other interrogations, his wife's death, and his self-loathing. This final offering by a beloved author is entertaining and provocative—the hallmark of a Cormier novel. Bravo again, and farewell to the master. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Junior High, definedas grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2001, Delacorte, 154p, $15.95. Ages 12 to 18. Reviewer: Florence H. Munat

The Five Owls - Stephen Fraser

Robert Cormier was truly one of the strongest voices in young adult writing, ever since the publication of his landmark 1974 novel, The Chocolate War. Here is the last book he wrote, with a short introduction written by his widow. The Rag and Bone Shop, its title taken from an old poem, is more accurately an adult novella, although the story centers on an adolescent who has inadvertently become the focus of a murder investigation in a small New England town. The sensibility of this novel is adult and, in fact, the story begins with a glimpse at a very tired adult just completing work on his previous case, analyzing his own lack of satisfaction. All he feels is a headache. He is a widower, missing the presence of his wife when he returns home. This protagonist is the crime investigator, simply called Trent, who lives in Vermont and has gained somewhat of a reputation as an expert in questioning witnesses and suspects. When seven-year-old Alicia Bartlett is found murdered in the Massachusetts town called Monument, Trent is called upon to conduct the questioning. The central, compelling scene of the novel reads like an extended movie scene, where the camera focuses on two characters reacting to one another. Twelve-year-old Jason Dorrant, the last person to see his neighbor Alicia alive, is questioned in a sophisticated yet outwardly innocent manner by the detective. At first, Trent asks simple questions of the boy and watches his reactions in body language and vocal inflection. As the scene continues, we notice that the questioning becomes more vehement and directional; even though we know, from the earlier scenes, that Jason is innocent, we see that the detective is becoming more determinedto prove Jason guilty, almost as a kind of sport. Jason becomes increasingly uncomfortable and confused. At the end, Trent elicits a confession from Jason that he is guilty, even though he is not. Clearly, the stress of the situation has driven the boy to make a statement to satisfy the interrogator. Word comes that the actual murderer has confessed and been booked. In a final tableau, we send a sadly psyched-out Jason, the poor victim of Trent's manipulative sessions, with a knife in his hands, ready to commit the very crime he has been falsely accused of. This is a compelling, tragic story. I do not think this is a children's book, although fans of Cormier will undoubtedly want to read it. However, The Rag and Bone Shop contains the same taut, fluid writing we have come to expect of Robert Cormier; it is a very strong piece of writing with cinematic potential as a brilliant character study. 2001, Delacorte Press, 144 pages,

KLIATT - Paula Rohrlick