Dead-End Job

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

Frances works the evening shift at the Highway Biway Convenience Store.
It is usually pretty quiet, which gives her time to work on her art
portfolio for college. The first time Devin comes in for a candy bar,
she is impressed with his astute observations about her drawing, but her
boyfriend, Leo, becomes jealous when she tells him. When Devin comes in
again, Frances keeps it a secret in order not to upset Leo. It soon
becomes clear that Devin is romantically interested in her, and although
she doesn’t feel the same way, Frances doesn’t want to hurt his
feelings. Frances starts to become afraid when Devin sends her pictures
he has taken of her without her knowledge, and she realizes he has been
lying to her. She confides to her friend Kyla, who tries to make her see
just how dangerous Devin could be. In the end, Frances does escape
Devin’s attack, but she remains haunted by her terrible ordeal.

This novel in the Orca Soundings series for reluctant teen readers is
intriguing and suspenseful. The reader can sense from the very beginning
that there is something suspicious about Devin, and the tension between
his behaviour and Frances’s innocent and sympathetic nature continues
to build until the story’s thrilling climax. Within the story is a
reminder to teenage girls to pay attention to their instincts and to
share their concerns with others when things don’t seem to be going
right in their relationships. Highly recommended.