Scott Wallens

Betrayal places Reed at the crossroads between personal ambition and family loyalty. Offered the starting quarterback position at Boston College—an opportunity dreamed of by his brother T.J.—Reed must navigate guilt, deception, and the weight of expectations. As his choices ripple through friendships and identity, readers are pulled into a story about sacrifice and honesty. A tense emotional ride anchored in sports realism and teen impulse.

In Torn, Karyn faces a tough choice between her devoted boyfriend T.J. and his brother Reed—and students can feel the tension. This installment digs deep into family drama, first love, and the messy emotions of being caught between what’s expected and what feels right. With realistic teen situations, quick pacing, and emotional depth, it’s ideal for readers who want something relatable and reflective. My classroom readers connect with the characters—and often pick this one up to re-read!

Susan says: I had already read book two in this series, and went back to see if some of the questions I wanted answered were answered in this book. The overall series premise is that there were 7 kids who were friends when they were 10, but then something happened, and now they are not friends at all, and whatever it was is buried. As it is all of the teens are dealing with individual problems that are introduced in each book. This book focuses on Meena, who babysits for a man who starts show more raping her, and she feels like because they are family friends, no one will understand her/believe her. Because there are so many stories to introduce, it's sort of disjointed, and I probably wouldn't read any further in the series. But it might be a good series for a reluctant reader. show less