What Happened to Cass McBride?

Like most novels by this modern master of the YA psychological thriller, Giles lets the reader know right up front the "crime" — a young woman (Cass McBride) has been buried alive. The story unfolds in three voices: Cass, the perp Kyle, and the detective trying to find out where Cass is buried. This is a masterwork of plotting and of character development. Readers learn how Kyle is buried by the burden of his family history, mostly the suicide of his brother David which he blames on Cass. But also Cass is buried by both parents' expectations and her suffocating arrogance. Thus, the reader's sympathy may lie with the tortured psychopath, not the victim. While there will never be another Robert Cormier, Giles is a worthy successor in show more writing books that make readers jump out of their own skins while crawling around in the twisted souls and skins of others. Review originally appeared in Novelist. show less

Cass McBride wakes up in a box. She's been buried alive by Kyle, who blames her for his brother, David's suicide. And he's not that wrong to do it. David asked Cass out and she sort of blew him off (in a nice way) but then wrote a note for her best friend totally making fun of him in about the meanest way possible. And then David found the note.

Then he wrote a note of his own, pinned it to his body (no, I don't mean his shirt--I mean his BODY) and hanged himself. In the front yard.

So Kyle wants to teach Cass a lesson. He drugs her, kidnaps her and buries her alive.

This book is beyond intense. I couldn't read it fast enough (I wanted to know if Cass would somehow manage to escape and if she did, if she'd become a better person for the show more experience). It's not for the fainthearted, but wow. Intense and compelling and all those other book blogger cliches I should probably stop using. show less

This psychological thriller hooks the reader from the very first sentence: "She's dead, isn't she? If she was alive, I wouldn't be handcuffed to a table in an interview room." After Kyle Kirby's younger brother commits suicide, he plans to exact revenge on Cass McBride, the popular girl he blames for his brother's death. Kyle snatches Cass from her home and buries her alive. Cass manages to stall for time in a verbal battle of wits - as the police begin a desperate search. The author deftly plumbs the psychological depths of both Cass and Kyle, their families, and their motives. The ending is perfectly unsatisfying - but perfect nonetheless. A must read for fans of crime thrillers!

Merideth says: A pretty and popular, yet manipulative girl is kidnapped from her home and buried alive in this tight thriller.

Cass McBride has a perfect life. On track to be prom queen, applying to all the best schools, if you're on her radar, she'll be sweet and charming. If you're not, then you don't matter. Cass knows what it takes to stay a winner, stay popular and she's willing to do whatever it takes to keep herself at the top. That's why she was so surprised when David Kirby asked her out. David is a nobody, bottom of the social ladder. Nice to his face, but viscous in a note to a friend, she feels momentarily bad when David picks up the note later. When David kills himself the next day, his brother, Kyle decides Cass is show more responsible. The then kidnaps her, and buries her underground. However, he isn't content to leave her there, he wants to talk to her, and make sure she knows what she's done. Cass is a master manipulator, taught to sell from the moment she was born. She uses Kyle's guilt over leaving his brother with their emotionally abusive mother to try and get free.

Told in alternating voices, including Cass, Kyle and the detective investigating Cass's disappearance, this is a quick read that zooms towards a satisfying, but ambiguous conclusion. As the situation unfolds, we get a picture of three children, all of whom had been warped by the obsessions of their parents. The interludes of the detective provide a nice breather from the disturbing revelations of Cass and Kyle. Interestingly enough, Cass is not particularly sympathetic, even trapped underground, she comes off as superior and cunning. Kyle is an open wound, angry and judgmental. Feeling much shorter than 210 pages, this is a one-sitting book, that will be much enjoyed by teen suspense fans. (cross-posted from MeriJenBen) show less

in a sentence: cass is buried alive by the brother of the boy who killed himself after she turned him down for a date. yes, really.

cass is a high school girl who really has it together. smart, gorgeous, clever, funny, and of course, manipulative. when she turns down david kirby (mega-nerd) for a date, the next day she finds out he killed himself and can't help but feel kinda guilty about it. but that guilt materializes as she fights for her life - in more ways than one. the struggles she faces are internal and external, just as they are for kyle kirby - her kidnapper and torturer.

obviously this is a grim story. it's super heavy, but well worth the read. there's some swearing action here and there, but nothing too shocking considering show more the characters are 17 and older. also, the family dynamics of this story are so interesting. and when i say interesting, i mean depressingly, heartbreakingly, and fascinatingly interesting. it hurts my heart to even imagine that there are family dynamics like the ones in this book, but the reality is that there are too many families like the ones Giles explores.

i loved the multiple storytellers, and the multiple fonts to help the reader keep things straight. i liked the jumping back and forth in time in a way that made sense and built up the tension in the mystery. but most of all i like the coming of age element that is present and makes the read worthwhile. the different characters come to independent realizations about themselves through this nail-biter of a book and are truly changed.

i appreciated the emphasis that Giles puts on the power of words, and in such an authentic way. she makes it so clear the hurt that people can inflict with their verbal actions that it honestly makes you think about the way you talk to people, treat people, or even look at people differently. i should also note that i powered through this book in a matter of hours. that is unheard of for me! it is indeed a quick read, but the tight suspense pushed me so hard that i couldn't resist even if i wanted to! plus i loved Shattering Glass, so i had good reason to suspect this one would be quite the treat.

fave quotes: "words are teeth. and they eat me alive. feed on my corpse instead" (102)
"a person doesn't really live through something like that. a new person is born and steps out."(209)

fix er up: the ending is something that i'm having a hard time dealing with. not so much with cass's character, but with the way the families cope with the ending. i'm just not sure i like it, but i'm not sure that i dislike it necessarily either. show less

A pretty and popular, yet manipulative girl is kidnapped from her home and buried alive in this tight thriller.

Cass McBride has a perfect life. On track to be prom queen, applying to all the best schools, if you're on her radar, she'll be sweet and charming. If you're not, then you don't matter. Cass knows what it takes to stay a winner, stay popular and she's willing to do whatever it takes to keep herself at the top. That's why she was so surprised when David Kirby asked her out. David is a nobody, bottom of the social ladder. Nice to his face, but viscous in a note to a friend, she feels momentarily bad when David picks up the note later. When David kills himself the next day, his brother, Kyle decides Cass is responsible. The then show more kidnaps her, and buries her underground. However, he isn't content to leave her there, he wants to talk to her, and make sure she knows what she's done. Cass is a master manipulator, taught to sell from the moment she was born. She uses Kyle's guilt over leaving his brother with their emotionally abusive mother to try and get free.

Told in alternating voices, including Cass, Kyle and the detective investigating Cass's disappearance, this is a quick read that zooms towards a satisfying, but ambiguous conclusion. As the situation unfolds, we get a picture of three children, all of whom had been warped by the obsessions of their parents. The interludes of the detective provide a nice breather from the disturbing revelations of Cass and Kyle. Interestingly enough, Cass is not particularly sympathetic, even trapped underground, she comes off as superior and cunning. Kyle is an open wound, angry and judgmental. Feeling much shorter than 210 pages, this is a one-sitting book, that will be much enjoyed by teen suspense fans. show less

I was absolutely thrilled to read this book. Psychology thriller? Score. From the moment I read the first paragraph I was madly in love with the story. At times I did find it to be slightly confusing - with the constant character point of view shift - but it was quick to pick up on and understand.

I found myself falling for the bad guy, and hating the victim, which I seem to believe is the entire point of the story. Really, if you read it right, the bad guy is the victim and I simply could not help but adore him; a decision I could not bring myself to doubt.

Never a dull moment; there's always a random insert of information at just the right time to add to the suspense, and at the same time ease the confusion. Yet at the same time it can show more be extremely clear. It's amazing how the atmosphere stays the same despite the constant shifts among the pages.

Bluntly, this book was beautifully written, and perfect for anyone with a love for a book that sends shivers up their spines. Not so much for people who likes an easy flow of information, but perfect for those with a sense of suspenseful adventure. show less