ricochet, Julie Gonzalez

Gonzalez, Julie (2008).
ricochet
New York:Laurel Leaf
978-0440239055
Genre: Realistic fiction

When his best friend is killed in a game with a loaded gun, fifteen-year-old Conner finds his perceptions of himself and his relationships with his family, friends, and the other people in his life changed in more profound ways than he could have imagined.
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Cameron and his friends begin by playing Russian roulette, and when everyone survives, they move onto Idiot’s roulette (pulling the trigger on the one closest to you). When Cameron’s best friend is shot and killed, Cameron suffers the consequences: he is convicted of manslaughter and put on probation. While Gonzalez portrays Cameron as a sensitive fifteen-year-old who questions his friendship with Daniel as well as Cameron’s relationship with his brothers, Gonzalez is a bit out of sync with today’s teens: Cameron refers to spending time with his friends as “palling around.” The use of short episodic non-linear narratives which somewhat alternate between before and after the shooting seem jumbed and lack the tension building effect necessary for the novel to maintain readers’ interest. As part of his punishment, Cameron must avoid the other friends who were present at the shooting, get a part time job and check in with his probation officer. Gonzalez accurately portrays Cameron’s family’s and friends’ reactions to the situation. Cameron’s younger brother blames Cameron for the death while his mother doesn’t really know how to relate to her son anymore. Cameron questions himself and doubts his ability to choose friends and, as a result befriends the wrong person who frames him at work. Cameron realizes that because of his record, everyone assumes he is guilty. Cameron turns to his love of music and violin playing to ground him and keep him from succumbing to “the dragon”—Cameron discusses how the dragon haunts him and plays on his insecurities. Only when Cameron becomes completely self-assured and mends the faltering relationships in his life does the dragon disappear.