| The Boxer and the Spy |  | Author: Robert B. Parker
Publisher: Puffin
Category: Book
List Price: $8.99
Buy New: $2.25
as of 9/6/2010 12:00 EDT details
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Seller: horizonbb
Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 24,598
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.7
ISBN: 0142414395
EAN: 9780142414392
ASIN: 0142414395
Publication Date: June 25, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When a shy high school students body is found washed up on the shore of a quiet beach townan apparent suicideTerry Novak doesnt know what to think. He decides to do some investigating with the help of his best friend, Abby. Before long, they learn that asking questions puts them in grave danger. Fortunately, Terry has been learning about fighting, thanks to a retired boxer, who teaches him to use his head and keep his feet set beneath himlessons Terry takes to heart in more ways than one. Robert B. Parker delivers a taut, empowering mystery for teen readers.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 29
 Who Killed Jason? August 19, 2010
Katrina L. Burchett (Florida)
Jason Green overheard a conversation and soon after he was dead. Terry Novak and Abby Hall are on a mission to find out what happened to Jason. When some of their friends join in to help, they form a spy network and they are very serious about being detectives. But there is an adult who wants to put an end to their investigation and he's using one of their classmates to keep them from finding out the truth. If he can.
Jason: He lost his father and his mother got drunk a lot. He didn't like sports but he did like old movies and he liked to draw. He was taking the technical arts curriculum at William Dawes Regional and he wanted to be a landscape designer. He was believed to be gay, but his interests were the only reasons given. Those likes and dislikes made this young man gay? I couldn't see why characters came to this conclusion.
Terry and Abby: They worked well together. Some thought they were a couple. They claimed they weren't but the way they related to each other it seemed as if their close friendship would be more someday. I liked that Abby wanted her `first time' to mean something.
George: Terry's mentor doesn't just teach him to box (quite a few boxing lessons take place in this story) but he also speaks words of wisdom because he wants Terry to make good choices.
Mr. Bullard: The principal of William Dawes Regional high school is not a likeable character.
This is the first Robert B. Parker novel I've read. The mystery was a page-turner not really because it was exciting or thrilling, but because I wanted to find out who killed Jason. Even though I didn't get to really know him, I liked him. It was also a quick read; forty-seven of the shortest chapters I have ever seen in a young adult novel. There is a fight scene and the use of steroids is addressed. There is also a bit of profanity and the mention of sexual activity but it isn't written in detail. Even though there are teenagers of high school age, this story is one I believe mature middle school students would enjoy.
 The Boxer and the Spy May 30, 2010
Dianna Myers
Even without Spenser this is an excellent read. Classic Parker. Great for young readers.
Only good for teenagers. May 13, 2010
Nancy Dennen (Orange County CA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Since the death of the great author Robert B. Parker
I have been on a guest to read every book he has ever written. When I purchased this book I had no idea it was written for teenagers. However disappointed I was
young people would benefit from reading it.
Don't take on the boxer and the spy January 15, 2010
Joseph P. Menta, Jr. (Philadelphia, PA USA)
High school chums and almost boyfriend/girlfriend Terry and Abby suspect that their classmate's suicide was not a suicide at all, but foul play somehow tied in with some shady goings-on by their school principal and a local pol now running for governor. But what, they observe, could a couple of kids do about it? A lot, as we soon find out.
Robert B. Parker's third book for young adults ("Edenville Owls" and "Chasing the Bear" were the first two), doesn't talk down to kids, and in fact discusses Mr. Parker's usual themes with the same enthusiasm as they're approached in his adult thrillers. These include the importance of having a personal code, and being consciously aware of both the strengths and challenges of one's personal relationships, especially one's primary romantic relationship. Actually, in this book's case, it's more of a potential romantic relationship, as Terry and Abby are still somewhat circling each other and figuring everything out, even as each is clearly taken with the other.
The title alludes to Terry's enthusiasm for boxing and Abby's plan to mobilize her and Terry's friends to spy on the adults they suspect of murdering their friend and scamming the community. A decent plotline (maybe slightly simpler than a usual Parker plot, but not much), likable characters, and some good confrontation scenes result in a solid, entertaining effort. As I also said about the characters in Mr. Parker's other two stand-alone (so far) young adult titles, it would be nice to see Terry and Abby again sometime.
What dialogue! December 11, 2009
Nikki C. Imai (Irvine, CA)
I haven't ever read a Robert B. Parker novel, and I can understand what everyone is saying about his incredible dialogue. Terry is not an overly complicated boy, with the basic motivations of an essentially good person. He is head-over-heels for the flirtatious, intelligent Abby, and the two of them banter continually about sex even though they've never had it and aren't sure they want to have it. The zen-like wisdom of the capable George balances the easy back and forth of the pair and the chatter of their friends. The mystery is not particularly mysterious, violent, or particularly surprising at its conclusion, but that takes nothing away from Terry's investigations, which unites kids from all classes and cliques. Wonderful book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 29
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