Great book for teens of the Judeo-Christian faith. People not of the same faith may not agree with certain aspects - there’s an interesting discussion on evolution, for example. A very entertaining read either way. ( )

Summary: Elisha and Elijah Springfield are sixteen year old twins with an unusual life. The twins and their parents are undercover agents working with a secret organization called the Veritas Project. Veritas means 'truth' in Latin, so the families job is to get to the truth of the matter. The Springfields are called to Baker Washington on a special assignment. Students at Baker High have been mysteriously getting ill. There is an old legend that Abel Frye, a former student decades ago hung himself at school. There are differen't tales about Able Frye circulating the school, but one thing that keeps the story going is the mysterious illness some students get. First comes hallucinations, and the students who have the illness call out Abel Fryes name, in horror. Second comes comatose. The Springfield's job is to find out the trush behind all of the madness. Ian Snyder is an outcast at school. It turns out he and his friends have been holding secret witchcraft meetings to call Able Frye to cause harm on the students at school who pick on them. It turns out that one of the boys in the clique has been the real culprit, poisoning the students with a rare spiders venom which causes hallucinations and even death. Two students die before the Sprinfield's solve the case.
Themes: Mistreating others and the consequences that follow is a theme that is unmistakable in the novel. Norman, the kid who started the spider retaliation, was almost in a way not to blame. He obviously shouldn't have caused harm on anyone, but in a way that is all he knew. Kids can be really mean and anyone would get sick of the physical and emotional abuse sooner or later. The novel sets a good example of what happens when people are treated poorly. Even Norman has to face consequences for his actions. With all of the bullying at school, and the retaliation, it is evident in the story that everyone deserves a second chance. Even Ian, Norman, and their friends deserve a second chance. Like I mentioned before, a person can only take so much abuse, and retaliation is not the appropriate measure to take, but the kids deserve a second chance to make things right. The same goes for the bullies. They had to learn a lesson the hard way, as far as bullying, but they deserve a second chance to make things right. It helped that Elisha and Eliha never gave up on Ian and Norman, they were always there to help them.
Discussion Questions: Why do you think it is important to find the truth in situations? Describe the relationship between Ian and Elijah, and also between Norman and Elisha?
Response: I absolutely loved this novel. Frank Peretti is a genius and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. The story was thrilling and exciting and I could hardly put it down. I never thought I was much for mystery, but the way Peretti portrayed the characters, and described the events, I was engrossed. I felt sorry for Ian and Norman while reading the novel. I couldn't believe how mean people were to them. I was either oblivious to that type of abuse in highschool, or it didn't occur often because I do not remember people being treated that way. I did not like how the bullies happened to be athletes. Most of the athletes at my school respected other people, it was something learned through athletics. However, I did see some connections with the way teachers treated athletes in the books and how teachers treated athletes at my school. Athletes always seemed to get away with more than most people, which isn't fair by any means. Although, the coach in the novel was a little far fetched. ( )

I had picked this book up at a discount store a few years ago, and recently read it. Even though it is aimed at people a good bit younger than myself, I really enjoyed it. The Christianity of the main characters is present, but not overbearing and pushy - it drives them to find the Truth, but not in a hokey way. The storyline was interesting and the mystery was a page turner. I really enjoyed it. ( )

great youth fiction ( )

When several students at Baker High School are stricken by an alleged curse of the school's ghost, Elijah and Elisha Springfield and their parents, undercover investigators, are sent to discover the truth behind the events.