ChaseR — Michael J. Rosen

In Michael J. Rosen's funny, provocative novel, a reluctant move to the heart of hunting country spurs a lonely teen's obsession with e-mail and Top Ten lists -- and a passion for animals that takes on a life of its own.

Fourteen-year-old Chase Riley has just moved with his parents from Columbus, Ohio, to a farmhouse in the country. It's only sixty miles from civilization as he knows it, but it may as well be on another planet. For starters, there's the biblical plague of seventeen-year cicadas, making a collective noise as loud as a subway train. But that's nothing compared to the awesome appearance of deer, everywhere, pausing majestically in the woods or, more often, tagged and strapped to hunters' cars.

A case of culture shock has Chase seeking refuge at his computer, blasting off droll commentary for hours on end to his sister at college and his buddies back in town. He's promised his parents he will MAKE AN EFFORT, but it's hard to find friends in a place where everyone's eager to go out and shoot something. The only consolation is watching his dogs run free on their rural acres -- until a freak accident changes everything. And that's when Chase begins devising The Plan.