If you like young-adult fiction, then T.W.O.C by Graham Joyce is right for you! The story takes place in modern England. It is about a teenage boy who is in probation after stealing a car. If you are wondering what the title means, it stands for taken without owner’s consent. It basically means to steal a car.

The narrator’s name is Matt. In this story, Matt is on probation after stealing a car and wrecking it during an accident. He really hates being on probation. Everyday, he has to talk to a probation officer about his issue, but this is really hard for him.

The conflict of this story is that Matt’s brother, Jake, died in a car accident. Although he is dead, Matt keeps seeing him everywhere. He tells us that Jake died when they stole a car (the one that got him on probation) and crashed it in a car accident. But Matt is not telling us the whole truth.

Graham Joyce did a great job on this book. Once you start reading, it is hard to stop. To find out the truth of Matt’s story, you have to read it for yourself. ( )

This was fast-paced and very interesting. Great twist and sympathetic characters. Recommended. ( )

Kearsten says: This was fast-paced and very interesting. Great twist and sympathetic characters. Recommended. ( )

Heavily laden with British slang, this is the story of a typical high school boy -- with a few twists. First, Matt is haunted by his brother's ghost and the fateful events of the night that changed his life. As we travel with him through his probation, we see (perhaps too many of) his thoughts regarding both the present and the past. During a weekend trip with other teens on probation, Matt learns some important lessons and will maybe figure out how to move on with his life. This was well written, and despite some of the fixation on Matt's part, I actually would have liked to read more. ( )

Also brilliant - 1st person narration - it turns out three quarters of the way through he's unreliable! Could not put it down! Modern, fast-paced. S McK. ( )