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Lawless

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By DeeDee


Lawless 
by Jeffery Salane
Scholastic Press, 2013. Ficton. 277 p

M Freeman has been home-schooled her whole life, until she is suddenly whisked away to a special school for the children of criminal masterminds.  Once there she realizes that her tutors and parents have been teaching her skills that help her excel in her new and challenging environment.  The problem with a school that trains people to be criminals is that there is no way to know whom to trust.  Do her new friends really want to help her succeed, or do they have dark ulterior motives of their own?

The premise and characters in this new action/adventure/mystery are interesting because of the moral ambivalence inherent in a life of crime.  M wants to succeed, but the reader can tell she has some reservations as well. The writing is good, and Salane includes some exciting action sequences, funny predicaments, and clever heists.  The ending, if a bit improbable, provides a satisfying conclusion, while setting the stage for the sequel. 
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