Narc by Crissa-Jean Chappell - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

Aug 20, 2012 Glass rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, realistic-fiction

I've just finished reading this book - like ten minutes ago - and I'm breaking my own rule as you can see (I try not to write a review the same day that I finish the book). I'm sitting here in front of my shitty computer (I really need a laptop!) and trying to say something meaningful about Narc. So, I go and make another mistake - I google the author. And I like her and now I can't write all those shitty things I've been thinking about last night after I've read first half of the book. Like, h...more I've just finished reading this book - like ten minutes ago - and I'm breaking my own rule as you can see (I try not to write a review the same day that I finish the book). I'm sitting here in front of my shitty computer (I really need a laptop!) and trying to say something meaningful about Narc. So, I go and make another mistake - I google the author. And I like her and now I can't write all those shitty things I've been thinking about last night after I've read first half of the book. Like, how I hate that every author lately, in the lack of the better solution, decide that one of the reasons for main character being messed up is that his father or brother died somewhere in the Middle East - thousand miles away from his peacfull home where the bigest problem is that you are "human wallpaper, a stoner wastecase" or being rich brat with too much freedom. Boo-friggin-hoo. Or maybe, I've read too much books with military background last month. Who knows?

I woke up late this morning, took a cup of coffee and curled on my favorite reading spot. And I read the book. My third cup of coffee got cold - I was so cought up in the story that I forgot about it. I felt guilty for all "shitty things" that I've been thinking - because in the end it's not another glorified story about American soldiers who are "saving the world". No, not at all. It's about kid who can't save himself, let alone somebody else. But he tries and along the way finds friends, girlfriend and, maybe in the end his own way how to deal with the rest of the world.

In the beginning I was little bit confused - Narc is written in this hectic style and you have to go back and look for clues. First I was annoyed but then I realized that it's author's way to express all the feellings and inner drama which Aaron was going through. This book deserves to be called "realistic" - I won't tell you why I think that - than this post would be me telling you everything that happens in this book and than there would be no need for you to read it. (Don't you just hate when people mix up review and summarising the storyline of the novel?)

If you want to see how would Narc look like in the pictures, go the the Crissa's Tumblr. There you will also find some extra parts of the story - nice touch. My personal favorite would be this picture:

description

Read the book and tell me why!

Until next time,
Glass

***NOTE! Copy of the book is kindly provided by the publisher, Flux, via NetGalley. I'm not paid for writing review - I do this for free as lover of written word. All opinions in this review are personal.

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Jul 12, 2012 Danica Page (One Page at a Time) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: asked-to-review, netgalley, arc, young-adult, drugs, high-school, not-my-usual-read, out-in-2012

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I went into this novel with no expectations. I liked the cover and the first line of the synopsis had me hooked. You're going to hate me forever when you learn my secret. That pulled me into this novel. I was slightly hesitant to read this novel because it's about drugs, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

I enjoyed this no...more My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I went into this novel with no expectations. I liked the cover and the first line of the synopsis had me hooked. You're going to hate me forever when you learn my secret. That pulled me into this novel. I was slightly hesitant to read this novel because it's about drugs, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

I enjoyed this novel immensely. I liked the writing style and I actually did like the character Aaron. Even though he had clearly messed up and got in drugs, I liked him more than I had anticipated. He was about the only character I liked. Morgan and Skully intrigued me, but Aaron was one that I actually liked. Aaron became a narc to help save his sister and so he decided to become one. It was an intriguing premise.

I've mentioned that I had no expectations for this novel, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The novel was well-written and the characters were well-developed.

So why four stars? I originally had this at a three because this isn't typically the type of book I like to read. However, the more I thought about it, I decided this is actually a 4 star novel. The writing was brilliant and while I might not have loved the subject of the novel, I was sucked into the novel. An intriguing read and definitely one that was well-written. You just need to decide if the plot line is for you.

In Summary: A novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Wonderful writing with intriguing characters that led to an intriguing and entertaining story.

Warnings/Side-notes: It's about drugs so of course the novel mentions drugs several times. There were several instances of strong language. Some minor violence in the novel and sexual undertones. Not your cleanest read, but definitely not a filthy read. Not for young readers, but I think older teens could handle this just fine.

The Wrap-up: This was a unique book for me to pick up. I took a chance on it and I'm glad I did. It was an addicting read. Definitely glad I read this one. If you like novels that look at the edgier side of young adult fiction, I definitely recommend this one.

Love,

Danica Page (less)

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Jan 03, 2013 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, 2012-challenge, july-2012, male-pov, arc

I am giving a big round of applause to Criss-Jean Chappell for having the guts to be real here. I greatly appreciated how she handled so many aspects of this story, especially the end.

This is a hard review to write because my feelings vary so widely here. I adored the flawed, dumb teen boy main character who also is an honorable, loving brother and son. In contemp fiction we so often have a flawed male MC designed to swoon us with his bad boy ways, then he evolves into the perfect male that we...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Alyssa Seno-Varga rated it 4 of 5 stars

What would you do if you were forced to make a life threatening decision that could hurt your family and friends? How do you think those people would treat you after your decision was made? What if you were forced to choose a side? NARC, by Crissa-Jean Chappell is a very alluring and adventurous book that I would recommend to any teen. People who like high school based novels would love NARC. The author really draws in your attention by her creative writing style and amazing detail of today’s wo...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 3 of 5 stars

This story has been told countless times in YA. Boy on the fringes of teen social scene gets put in a rock and hard place position, (this one with drugs) boy finds himself in new circles, with new friends and love interests. Boy starts to like new people and places and doesn't like his decision to betray new friends. Yada...yada....

Aaron was the best part of this book. His discovery or should I say realization that the rich "haves" that everybody thinks have everything are just kids, like himsel...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2012

Solid 2.5.

When Aaron gets pulled over for speeding and his little sister's caught with a bag of weed in her pocket, the officer makes him a deal: find out who the source of drug distribution is in his high school. Over the course of his duty, Aaron befriends Morgan and Skully, two girls who are themselves heavy into the school's drug culture and who have ties to the source. As soon as Aaron has the source in his sight, he's ready to spill to the police. Except, it's not as easy as it sounds. He'...more Solid 2.5.

When Aaron gets pulled over for speeding and his little sister's caught with a bag of weed in her pocket, the officer makes him a deal: find out who the source of drug distribution is in his high school. Over the course of his duty, Aaron befriends Morgan and Skully, two girls who are themselves heavy into the school's drug culture and who have ties to the source. As soon as Aaron has the source in his sight, he's ready to spill to the police. Except, it's not as easy as it sounds. He's become friends with these people and he doesn't want them hurt.

NARC had a great premise, and the writing is fast-paced. As I was reading it, I knew exactly who this book would appeal to, since it has pretty great appeal -- readers who want to explore drug culture or drug life will eat this one up. I think this one will have good appeal to more reluctant readers, as well, particularly with the great pacing. Aaron himself is complex and throughout his story, he begins to understand that the people who choose to engage in drug use aren't simply burn outs. Many times, they're easing deeper pain. They're actual people.

The final quarter of the book, though, felt rushed and left me disappointed. At times, Aaron waffles between deciding to follow his orders or throwing those duties away in the name of friendship and honor. These moments were pretty powerful and telling about Aaron and about the issue of keeping secrets and keeping honor. The problem, though, was that the scenes at the end came rapid fire and didn't allow readers to really feel that mental torment with Aaron. (view spoiler) Likewise, I felt the ending was a letdown. There was a great build up in the story but the final chapter flat lined.

Both Aaron and Morgan were great characters, and I found myself really caring about Haylie, too. I wish I had a little bit more about Aaron's father and the influence of his father on Aaron's choices and protective nature toward Haylie and his mother. I didn't find myself caring much about other characters, though, and I found Finch was pretty stock and uninteresting, even in light of what Morgan had to say about him. I wish we'd gotten a little bit more of Finch, perhaps through the lens of what Morgan had said about him to Aaron.

Longer review to come. (less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Arlen rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this on a Kindle. That’s why I know that, when I was 44% of the way through, I almost threw in the towel. It wasn’t until I was 71% through the story that I began to have interest in Chappell’s characters. And I made it through to the end. Chappell redeemed herself; the book had a satisfying ending.

In the beginning I found myself quite – very – extremely – confused by the setting of the story. I wasn’t sure if I had by accident skipped pages, forgotten what was happening, or was intent...more I read this on a Kindle. That’s why I know that, when I was 44% of the way through, I almost threw in the towel. It wasn’t until I was 71% through the story that I began to have interest in Chappell’s characters. And I made it through to the end. Chappell redeemed herself; the book had a satisfying ending.

In the beginning I found myself quite – very – extremely – confused by the setting of the story. I wasn’t sure if I had by accident skipped pages, forgotten what was happening, or was intentionally being befuddled as part of the author’s intentions. I also wasn’t sure if it was the setting that threw me off or if it was the progression of the plot. Initially, each scene introduced a new character, so I was then having difficulty placing characters into perspective with regards to their purpose to the storyline. Although the author introduced new characters, I didn’t feel like I was getting to know them, to understand their development and connection to the plot.

As far as motifs go, Chappell included two. The first was magic, magician-like magic. Coin tricks and levitation. The second was pigeons. Roof-top “sky rats” with babies. These two themes flowed well throughout the story and were not distracting; however, I do not feel like they were developed sufficiently enough to create thorough analogies to Aaron’s predicament. Aaron’s father, a war photographer, had recently died. Both from grief and from struggling to keep finances and family together, his distraught mother provided ineffective parenting. Aaron felt like it was up to him to protect his younger sister. (I believe the pigeon motif was intended to portray Aaron’s family dynamics.) Aaron’s other predicament involved the narc position that he agreed to assume in order to protect his younger sister, Haylie. It would take all sorts of magic and sleight-of-hand for Aaron to maintain his role of narc, especially since he began to have feelings for some of the people he would have to include in the potential bust, Morgan and Skully.

Chappell’s writing accurately portrayed the wildfire nature of online social network posts, emails, phone photos, and instant messages. She used this phenomenon well to create the teenage interactions that allowed the story to progress the way it did. Aaron used the lack of privacy the Internet provides to research his potential targets for the police, to follow what people said about him during the story; he also used it to save his personal, unsent thoughts and tried to remove his history. Teen readers will relate well to Chappell’s use of the Internet as a conduit for the advancing action of the plot.

Chappell finally created true plot tension towards the end of the story when the bust was supposed to go down. She allowed the reader to doubt the efficacy of Aaron’s plan and his ability to keep himself and his friends safe. Their quirky, unexpected rescue by some locals provided some tension release, while the reappearance of the police because of his narcotic agent-issued cell phone beacon adds back the realism to their dangerous situation.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the ending because it did seem like it could happen. Aaron knew he couldn’t safely hang around his high school any more, so he got his GED instead. Conveniently, his mom finished her schooling to be a nurse, which provided a plausible relocation for Aaron’s family. Aaron had one last chance meet-up with Morgan, and she turned out to have integrity, which made Aaron’s efforts all worth it. I’m glad I didn’t give up 44% of the way through the story, and I’m glad I got to experience Aaron’s vindication. All of this, nevertheless, did not make up for the whole book for me; I will probably not make this book part of my collection development plan.Narc (less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Anastasia & Amelia is currently reading it

Judging the Book by its Cover

We think it's only fair that we state the definition of a narc before we begin our usual "analyses." A narc isa general term used to describe someone who informs the proper authorities when they see others committing illegal deeds. The guy on the cover obviously doesn't look like an adult, so we're assuming he's a teenager. Ohhhhhhh, boy. Where we come from, "narcing" isn't exactly what you want to be known for. In fact "narcing," might just be the worst thing you c...more Judging the Book by its Cover

We think it's only fair that we state the definition of a narc before we begin our usual "analyses." A narc is a general term used to describe someone who informs the proper authorities when they see others committing illegal deeds. The guy on the cover obviously doesn't look like an adult, so we're assuming he's a teenager. Ohhhhhhh, boy. Where we come from, "narcing" isn't exactly what you want to be known for. In fact "narcing," might just be the worst thing you can do, as a high school student. Something like ... this could happen:

Not the prettiest sight, is it? However, We're finding ourselves a bit intrigued. We're wondering what in the world could have possibly given him the idea that "narcing" is okay. Maybe he has a secret that he's holding on to (very tightly), and it would help to get the authorities off his case ... But you know what they say about secrets, don't you?! (*whispers*)
"Secrets, secrets, are no fun, unless you share with EVERYONE!"

See no evil, Speak no evil, Read this evil?

Ahh, the overview. Aaron is a stoner, who's been caught. That explains just about ... EVERYTHING. Jail time, or "narcing"? That's like asking us if I'd like to get something to eat or let myself starve to death? There was really only one option in the first place! While playing undercover narc, he falls in love. It's okay, Aaron! Some people were meant to be single!

I'm going to hate you forever, you say? Well one things for sure, We definitely don't hate this book. Translation: This book is OURS. It might as well just be on my bookshelf, because nothing, and we mean NOTHING, is going to stop us from reading this book.

Temptation Scale - 5/5

Don't forget to rate this novel on oursite, and leave a comment letting us know you rated it. Whichever book has the most positive ratings at the end of the month, will be featured as a giveaway, during that month. (Whoever rated that specific book, will be entered into that raffle.) Drop a comment below, we'd love to hear what you think about it too! (:

More "before-reviews" @: http://readingtemptations.blogspot.com/

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Aug 07, 2012 Anastasia & Demitra added it

*I received Narc as a free review copy, in exchange for an honest review.*

First things first, is anyone looking at that cover the way I’m looking at it? I mean there’s not a lot going on with the cover, but it’s enough to make you wonder where that loner kid’s story is going to take us.

Narc is about a guy named Aaron, he’s not the most popular kid in school, and he’s not the smartest. He looks just like the guy on the cover -- alone. Until he’s caught doing twenty over the limit, with his little...more *I received Narc as a free review copy, in exchange for an honest review.*

First things first, is anyone looking at that cover the way I’m looking at it? I mean there’s not a lot going on with the cover, but it’s enough to make you wonder where that loner kid’s story is going to take us.

Narc is about a guy named Aaron, he’s not the most popular kid in school, and he’s not the smartest. He looks just like the guy on the cover -- alone. Until he’s caught doing twenty over the limit, with his little sister in the car. He’s pulled over by a cop. What’s the worst that could happen, right? A ticket, and your free. Unfortunately … his sister is caught with a dime bag of weed. Thinking about how this would tear apart his mom, and his barely-holding-it-together family, Aaron accepts a job offered by the officer to act as an undercover narc, and help the Narcotic Unit take down the people supplying drugs to his school, Palm Hammock. While on this undercover “mission,” Aaron discovers more about the person he is/wants to be. The group of “friends,” he begins to associate himself with, are The stoners. Only Aaron wasn’t expecting to actually like them … or most of them.

I am completely and utterly in love with Crissa-Jean Chappell. From page one, she jumped right into the problem at hand. I didn’t have to push myself through this novel, at all, I just kept going and I didn’t want to stop, either. Also did anyone notice the main character is male?! Yay, for originality! I really liked how Chappell identified Aaron as an outsider from the beginning of the novel. It gave me a reason to want to root him. To want him to kiss a girl for the first time, do crazy teenager things, have a first real girlfriend, fall in love, have friends, and overall love Aaron’s character.

I honestly have nothing bad to say about Narc. I was very disappointed by the ending, but it makes sense now, when reflecting on it. This is a definite Stop-drop-and-read. If you weren’t fully compelled to read Narc, then I’m telling you, this a quick, easy, and intriguing read that you won’t regret.

4/5 stars

More reviews @ http://characterized.blogspot.com/(less)

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Oct 22, 2012 C. Lee McKenzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Aaron Foster is stopped for speeding and the cop finds a baggie with weed, Aaron's life takes a major turn . . . and not for the better. To keep from going to jail and making his mom's life more miserable than it already is, he agrees to become a narc. From then on the story is about Aaron's failure as both narc (at least for the most part) and as a boyfriend.

The writing is very strong. I was impressed by the cliche-free chapters that still managed to capture the teen voices. And I enjoyed...more

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May 27, 2012 Roshini rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, ya-book-club-a-z-challenge

I wanted so much to like this one, and I'm actually really disappointed that I didn't. Honestly, I'm not quite sure why it didn't interest me, but I have to assume a big part of it had to do with me not being able to connect with the protagonist.

The premise was interesting enough; high school kid who goes undercover as a narc for the police to protect his sister from going to jail for drug possession. Normally, I quite like the change of perspective that comes with reading a book from a guy's P...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Lina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-general, giveaway-wins, not-my-type-of-book, contemporary-ya

I won this ARC at a Teen Author Carnival along with a few other books and because it is an ARC I wanted to give it a proper review to explain why I gave it the score I did.

Narc is about Aaron Foster whose sister gets caught with an ounce of weed on her by the police, in order to protect his sister, he claims the weeds as his own and receives an ultimatum: go to jail or becoming a narc. A narc, for those of you who don't know, is someone who goes undercover in order to catch drug dealers. Aaron...more

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Aug 03, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 3 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed the premise of this story very much, I found that it progressed a bit slowly and I never really connected with the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the novel, I just wasn’t as enamored as I thought I was going to be going in. Mainly, I wasn’t a fan of Aaron, and as he’s the protagonist, that’s a big deal for me. If I’m not in love with the characters, then I automatically won’t be in love with the book; just a fact of life. Aaron was an all right guy, trying to do the righ...more While I enjoyed the premise of this story very much, I found that it progressed a bit slowly and I never really connected with the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the novel, I just wasn’t as enamored as I thought I was going to be going in. Mainly, I wasn’t a fan of Aaron, and as he’s the protagonist, that’s a big deal for me. If I’m not in love with the characters, then I automatically won’t be in love with the book; just a fact of life. Aaron was an all right guy, trying to do the right thing, but his constant wishy-washiness really irked me. I understand that he’s under a lot of pressure from the cops, and that he’s “falling in love,” but even so, the fact that he couldn’t decide if he wanted to protect himself and his family or a girl he liked was a bit jarring. Perhaps it’s just me, but I believe family comes first, and since Aaron has just met his new stoner friends, Morgan and Scully, I don’t think he made the right choices when it came to family versus friends. But again, I’m not in his situation, so I can only say what I think I would do. And thinking I’d do something and actually doing it are two different things… so perhaps I’d be in the same boat as Aaron.

But, characterization aside, I also had an issue with the fact that Aaron was forced to be a Narc at 17. Now, I don’t know the law, but Aaron states, repeatedly, that he’s under age and the police never spoke to his mother, so I got the distinct impression that what the police were doing was illegal coercion. Now, again, I’m not familiar with police policies, but threatening to throw a 17 year old in jail unless he becomes a Narc, without going through the proper channels, such as parents and lawyers, seemed a bit unreal. As in, I don’t think they can do that. But I haven’t researched this topic, so I could be wrong, and probably am. But either way, I found it a bit jarring. At least, if Aaron questions it, why not do the right thing and tell his mother?

Overall, the story was interesting enough, though I wish there had been more action. Like I said earlier, it’s a bit slow, but towards the end it speeds up to a point that is a little overwhelming, and then everything comes crashing together. I wouldn’t say it’s a happy ending, but at least Aaron comes out of it having learned some valuable lessons.

To see my full review:

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...(less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Heather Perkinson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-from-netgalley, hard-knocks, realistic-fiction

The premise of this novel is that the main character's sister has gotten herself--and her brother--into trouble with the law. To protect his little sister and save himself, Aaron, who is a senior in high school, makes a deal with the police. He agrees to go undercover to help them find the source of drugs being dealt at his school. The story is set in modern Miami, Florida. Going undercover turns out to be harder than he expects and Aaron finds himself making difficult choices when his new frien...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Jen (Almost Grown-up) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012contemp, contemporary, young-adult, ya, bea-12

Posted to Almost Grown-up:

When I first read about Narc in the Book Expo America Show Daily, I made a beeline for the Flux booth. With such an edgy premise, the rarer YA male protagonist, and a South Florida setting, I was itching to get my hands on a copy.

Unfortunately, the novel didn’t resonate with me as I’d hoped.

I think my main issue was with the plausibility of the entire premise of Narc. Perhaps a teenage “narc” is, in fact, a method police utilize. However, the way that it was laid out, I...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Once Upon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Many know that I jump on any book be it YA or adult when the story is based in Florida or more specifically to Miami. Crissa-Jean does a pretty great job on detailing the locations. It helps visualize the story better when the author helps you picture the locations, people and items that you read in each page. Being from Miami myself, to me its more of a visit home. The smells, noises and people come back to me in full color when I read Narc. So every time her story went somewhere, I felt I was...more Many know that I jump on any book be it YA or adult when the story is based in Florida or more specifically to Miami. Crissa-Jean does a pretty great job on detailing the locations. It helps visualize the story better when the author helps you picture the locations, people and items that you read in each page. Being from Miami myself, to me its more of a visit home. The smells, noises and people come back to me in full color when I read Narc. So every time her story went somewhere, I felt I was riding along with her characters, hoping I could pop into the nearest Cuban bakery while reading. One more thing I liked was she didn't cover up or glamorize Miami, she wrote it how it is. Just like any metropolitan city, it has its goods and bads.

Narc is the story of Aaron, Aaron was caught doing something illegal and the cop offered him 2 choices. Its a pretty simple choice actually, if you ask me. Help the cops out by becoming a Narc or go to jail. I think you know which one Aaron chose. Who in their right minds would want to go to jail.

If you don't know what a Narc is, here is a definition: An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants (CI), and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information without the consent of the other parties with the intent of malicious, personal or financial gain.

So Aaron takes on his new undercover job for the cops. He needs to find out who is the big player in their high school, who supplies the little guys. Aaron has no idea how he will figure this all out. So he begins friending people he normally doesn't hang out with. Aaron in reality has always kept to himself, so this is a big project for him to make all these new friends. Aaron begins to get in with some of the girls from school and getting invites to the parties were drugs are present, but the cops say its not enough. he needs to get in deeper and get them the big guy. So Aaron continue his lies to his new friends or associates he has made. Problem when you get close to people especially girls is that you begin to fall for a certain girl. Now he is starting to get closer to the information the cops need but at what cost to his new friends and love interest. What will Aaron decided is more important.

This is a fast stand alone read to pick up this summer. The novel is raw and to the point, I just felt at times that Aaron's character needed something more. I could never put my finger on what, but towards the end of the novel he bettered himself for me. This is as real as it can get, the story is not pretty pink ponies and fluffy white clouds, you are getting what really happens on a day to day basis in the large cities around the world that include today's youth. Its an eye opener of a tale. Those readers that like dark, realistic fiction will eat this book up.

review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Melissa (i swim for oceans) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, issue-books, own-arcs

Narc is the brainchild of author, Crissa-Jean Chappell, known for crafting heart-wrenching, emotional and poignant novels regarding the human condition. This novel is no exception. Written from a male POV, which is tricky as it is, Narc embraces the emotional underbelly of society and brings the humanity of all its characters to life. The sparse, haunting prose isn’t flowery or too descriptive. Rather, the emotions, the themes and the pain takes center stage making the story incredibly raw and r...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Bookworm1858 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, ya-read, netgalley

The title of this book is what attracted me to it: the use of the word narc is bold and eye-catching. I'll admit that it also made me think of the film "21 Jump Street" although I did not expect much humor from this book based on the cover.

I was right to not expect much humor because if I had, I would have been disappointed. Instead we have the story of Aaron, coerced into informing about the top drug dealer at his school in exchange for leniency toward his sister (I was very uncomfortable with...more The title of this book is what attracted me to it: the use of the word narc is bold and eye-catching. I'll admit that it also made me think of the film "21 Jump Street" although I did not expect much humor from this book based on the cover.

I was right to not expect much humor because if I had, I would have been disappointed. Instead we have the story of Aaron, coerced into informing about the top drug dealer at his school in exchange for leniency toward his sister (I was very uncomfortable with the way the cop used Aaron's underage sister in this situation and I hope that is atypical behavior for our police officers). Thus stoner and mostly invisible Aaron has to break out of his shell and get close to the power players who have been supplying the kids at his school.

My overwhelming feelings toward this book were a big fat MEH. I could not connect with Aaron and had trouble following some of the plot threads. Why was he hanging out with this person? How did Aaron know that she was involved? Is that really the next logical step in bringing down the drug ring? How is that person related to this situation? I'm still not entirely sure how everything came together and was startled to realize how close to the end I was without feeling ready for any kind of conclusion. I did feel a bit more interested at the end because the action became more intense but it also brought in some completely new characters who pushed the book in a different direction and did not erase my confusion.

I thought the book did a pretty good job of capturing Aaron's moral conflicts during his stint as a narc though. As he grows closer to some of the people they are targeting, he increasingly wants to protect them, seeing them as messed-up kids themselves who are in need of help and trying to balance that against protecting his own family. I just wish I had felt more interested in Aaron's situation.

Overall: A book that failed to capture my interest; cannot recommend.

Cover: The dark grime captures the seedy look into the underground drugs ring at the local high school.(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Liza Wiemer added it

Shelves: arc, bea, author-interviewed-on-my-blog

NARC by Crissa-Jean Chappell is a powerful novel about a boy named Aaron who gets himself into some serious trouble. I was deeply impressed with how Chappell brought out Aaron's voice, making him a sympathetic, troubled young man who is deeply loyal to family, protective of friends, and caught in the middle of his poor choices from the past and his current desire to make changes in his life. He takes some stupid risks and gets mixed up in some pretty messy things, all involving drugs. This is a...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: boy, dysfunctional, romance, urban

Aaron's story is a repeat in YA though I question the plausibility of a teen being turned into a narc, but maybe that's my own life experience talking. It had a great opening scene but then kind of lost me in the mundane details and stereotypical characters. I skimmed rather than read in-depth because I felt like been-there, done-that.

Though I want a teens perspective because I think they could really relate and would appreciate the story. We'll see. I would push it, but it's just not a favorit...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Daniela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review

This review was posted at The Cozy Armchair.

I first heard about Narc when I went to a meeting at Books & Books for book bloggers and found out the author was going to have a signing there. I picked up a copy because I was intrigued by its Miami setting mostly. I don’t care much for contemporary books that deal with teenagers and drugs, but I hoped that Narc would bring something new to the table. Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed because Narc is a pretty average book.

Aaron came off as a b...more This review was posted at The Cozy Armchair.

I first heard about Narc when I went to a meeting at Books & Books for book bloggers and found out the author was going to have a signing there. I picked up a copy because I was intrigued by its Miami setting mostly. I don’t care much for contemporary books that deal with teenagers and drugs, but I hoped that Narc would bring something new to the table. Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed because Narc is a pretty average book.

Aaron came off as a bland protagonist. I just could not make a connection with him and his situation. It felt really off to me that he gets roped into being a narc without his mom being informed, without lawyers getting involved. The book depict the police as abusive assholes who are willing to threaten an underage teen to rat out a drug dealer or else go to jail over a bag of weed. That the book starts that way really left a bitter taste, and then the following situations make even less sense.

The story aims to be gritty, raw, but it feels rather melodramatic at times, especially when it comes to the girls that Aaron befriends (one of which he falls in love with, of course). It read like an after school special sometimes - there’s the girl that’s super rich but has no real friends, the misunderstood girl that self-harms, and so on. Because Aaron’s POV felt so detached, it was hard to feel much for any of the characters.

And Aaron himself was hard to deal with most of the time because he kept wavering over his decisions, regretting everything, unsure about whether he wanted to protect his family or the girls or whether he even wanted to go through with being a narc.

The pacing is really slow at first, too, so the story seems to drag. Not much happens at first, besides some parties and high school angst. When the end rolls around, it’s a shock because one thing after another happens (including someone getting shot) until bam, the end. The final scenes honestly made no sense to me.

It just felt like something was missing in Narc and in Aaron, something to give the story more emotional depth and impact. Narc tells a pretty bleak story and the only sliver of hope comes with the ending, which had the appropriate amount of realism I’d been waiting for. It’s only too bad I had to wait for the end of the book to begin to understand these characters.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Jessica (Step Into Fiction) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, 3-stars

Review originally posted at Step Into Fiction

This book was alright. There wasn't anything exciting about the story but yet I liked the main three characters enough to keep reading. Aaron, Morgan and Skully made a great threesome and each character played well off the others but just the story, there was nothing exciting or unexpected that occured.

Double A, as Skully likes to call him, gets in way over his head. He's forced to be a narc and find out who the top dog is dealing drugs at his school....more

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Aug 04, 2012 Hannah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I was so excited for Narc, since I love the cover, and the premise sounded perfect for me. It turned out to be only an okay read for me, though, and I didn't connect with the story like I was hoping I would.

I still love the whole idea of reading about a narc, and the plot is very well-done. Even if I didn't love everything about this book, I did enjoy finding out how something like this would work, how someone would go about setting up a drug bust. The question of whether or not Aaron would go t...more I was so excited for Narc, since I love the cover, and the premise sounded perfect for me. It turned out to be only an okay read for me, though, and I didn't connect with the story like I was hoping I would.

I still love the whole idea of reading about a narc, and the plot is very well-done. Even if I didn't love everything about this book, I did enjoy finding out how something like this would work, how someone would go about setting up a drug bust. The question of whether or not Aaron would go through with it is what kept me reading. It might sound strange, but I liked reading about the whole scene and what these people are like, since their lives are so different from mine.

Other than that, though, Narc wasn't a book I really enjoyed reading. Crissa-Jean Chappell's writing isn't terrible, but it never sucked me in. I found myself bored and thinking about other stuff a few times, and I had to go back to see what was going on because the book hadn't captured my attention. Maybe that's my fault, not paying close attention, but I could just never really get into it.

Aaron is an okay character. I didn't have a problem with him, but I never connected with him, either. I still don't quite understand the motivation behind his becoming a narc - his little sister was busted with pot, and he lied to the cops to keep her safe, telling them it's his. The cops then offer him the narc-deal. Throughout the book, Aaron says he's doing this for his sister, to make sure his sister doesn't go to jail, but... would a fourteen-year-old have to go to jail for owning some pot? I don't know much about this stuff, but that doesn't sound realistic. Sure, there'd be consequences, but I can't imagine them being that bad, bad enough for Aaron to basically give up his whole life to prevent them. I don't think we got to know enough about the brother-sister relationship to understand why Aaron would do this to protect Haylie.

The secondary characters had a lot of potential. All of them are seriously messed up and have a lot of issues that could have been interesting to find out more about. But we never got to look beneath the surface, to see what was troubling these people. I didn't understand Aaron's attraction to Morgan - definitely insta-love - because we never really got to know Morgan. I would have loved to get to know these people better, and each of their stories had a lot of potential, but their lives weren't explored enough to make them more than cardboard representatives of certain issues.

The overall message of Narc confused me. It felt like it was saying what Aaron did was completely wrong, which I found strange. No, I didn't want him to betray his friends, but it's not like what he did is all bad - helping the cops bust a drug lord and try to control drug use is not a bad thing. The complications in the story do make this a difficult choice, but condemning everything Aaron did feels wrong, to me.

Towards the end, it does get a little better. There's more action in the lass 30 pages or so, and I really like the way the author decided to end things. But still, the ending wasn't enough to redeem the whole book, for me.

The set-up of Narc had a lot of potential, but to me, the execution fell short. I never really connected with the story, and the characters felt flat to me. I'd recommed reading Ferocity Summer instead - the set-up is similar, but Alissa Grosso does a much better job of developing her story, in my opinion.

Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...(less)

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Jul 22, 2012 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-book-read, kindle-books

This book was very different in the sense that it was like nothing else that I have read before.

The premise was completely new to me and I liked that about it. I liked how real it felt, the characters, the storyline and situations. It was gritty and a little raw in details. Very much what I could imagine life would be like for the characters.

I felt bad for Aaron, he was a kid stuck in a really bad situation and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and things just went down hi...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Chapter by Chapter rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the novel Narc by author Crissa-Jean Chappell. In all honesty, the description/synopsis had me both interested and at the same time nervous. I’m a teenager, I like to thing of myself as a very intelligent one because I am so against the use of drugs and illegal substances, so the idea of reading a story about a character who has used drugs in the past and is now forced to find a drug dealer and rat him out the cops definitely caught my eye. It sounded interestin...more I wasn’t sure what to expect from the novel Narc by author Crissa-Jean Chappell. In all honesty, the description/synopsis had me both interested and at the same time nervous. I’m a teenager, I like to thing of myself as a very intelligent one because I am so against the use of drugs and illegal substances, so the idea of reading a story about a character who has used drugs in the past and is now forced to find a drug dealer and rat him out the cops definitely caught my eye. It sounded interesting and when the story began I found myself actually very into the story.

Narc as I just said, is the story about our main character Aaron Foster who accepts the offer from a cop to be a snitch in exchange for not going to jail. By doing so, Aaron has to attempt to become one of the popular people in his high school and smoke out the drug dealer (no pun intended). While he does this, Aaron makes friends with people who he thinks are suspects or people who can lead him to the drug dealer. The story is split up into three parts. Each part revolves around Aaron as he continues to lie to the people around him about who he is and what his motives are. Throughout all of this, Aaron also begins to fall in love with a troubled girl named Morgan who Aaron hates having to lie to.

Narc begins with the main character Aaron getting chased by a police car with his little preteen sister and is pulled over. The officer discovers that his sister was carrying a bag of weed on her and the story sets off from there. Readers will get to watch as Aaron goes from a nobody to suddenly one of the more popular people in his high school. They get to see what his home life is like after the death of his father, who was a photographer in the army, and see the emotional war going on inside of Aaron as he deals with the conflict inside of him that comes with lying to Morgan.

I enjoyed the romance between Morgan and Aaron just because I felt like Aaron was one of those pretty good boyfriend examples that you can in YA novels. He’s openly caring for her well-being and at the same time beats himself up about lying to her. And the lying plays a pretty big role because Morgan’s very insecure, whenever Aaron lies it’s pretty obvious and I personally thought that it hurt her when she knew that he was lying to her. In Narc, you get a wide array of characters from slutty popular girls to an independent character like Skully.

I thought that everything in Narc was pretty decent. It had the right amount of action, drama and of course romance. I don’t have many complaints about the novel, it’s just that I found that it was missing a lot of detailing. You mostly get to see what Aaron’s thinking as opposed to knowing what the setting around him is like. Some readers may not like the vulgar language used in the novel, but it’s nothing too risqué. I would recommend Narc to fans of addiction stories, YA romance and readers who want a quick and dramatic read.(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Waiting For Wentworth rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to read Narc because the premise definitely interested me, and I really enjoy reading books from the male's POV. I wondered how being a narc would play out in a high school setting. And I was curious how a boy could go from being 'human wallpaper' to fitting in with the 'in' crowd.

I did actually enjoy the story like I thought I would. At times the writing was good. However, I found most of the book to be rushed and a bit clunky and disjointed. Almost as if Chappell couldn't finish writ...more I wanted to read Narc because the premise definitely interested me, and I really enjoy reading books from the male's POV. I wondered how being a narc would play out in a high school setting. And I was curious how a boy could go from being 'human wallpaper' to fitting in with the 'in' crowd.

I did actually enjoy the story like I thought I would. At times the writing was good. However, I found most of the book to be rushed and a bit clunky and disjointed. Almost as if Chappell couldn't finish writing one sentence before getting to the next - or complete one scene and make it connect to the next scene. Even within certain scenes the storyline jumped around quite a bit, and I couldn't figure out how anyone got from point A to point B. I was lost a few times and had to re-read to try and figure out what was going on. This was a really fast read, but the story did not unfold or flow smoothly.

After he is busted with drugs, the protagonist, Aaron, is forced by the police to find out who is supplying the high school with drugs. He agrees only to avoid jail time. He gets to know Morgan and her friend Skully while attempting to fit in with the drug users at school, who are not his usual crowd. Morgan and Skully are able to introduce Aaron to their inner circle, and he used these connections to gather info on the drug suppliers at school. I really couldn't understand Aaron's attraction to Morgan, especially after he spent time with her and had first hand knowledge of how messed up she was. He turned a blind eye to her faults and it made him seem very naive.

Not all of the characters in Narc are authentic, and I had a hard time connecting and relating to any of them. I thought the characters were one-dimensional and most of the relationships seemed very flat. I wasn't sure if the author was using the disconnect to show that the only true bond the characters had was the drugs.

At times I thought the dialogue was realistic, and other times it felt stilted and forced. I think Chappell was trying too hard to make the teens sound like teens, and it came off as fake. I will admit that I have no personal experience in knowing how drug deals go down, so I'm not an expert, but some of those scenes were very unrealistic to me.

Overall the book was really lacking the emotional depth that it should have had, considering most of the subject matter and situations the protagonist and others found themselves in. I felt the conclusion to Narc was satisfactory and fitting. I think that if given more time and attention, this could have been an incredible book. It just did not live up to it's potential.

I received an ebook ARC from Flux via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is August 8, 2012.
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Dec 15, 2012 Britt rated it 2 of 5 stars

This one has been on my radar for a while now and when I saw it at the library I figured it was the perfect time to pick it up. Unfortunately I had a bit of trouble connecting with the main character of Narc and I think that was mostly why I didn't enjoy this one. I also felt like he fell into the relationships with Morgan and Skully very quickly, and that didn't sit quite right with me. Full review to come at Not So Teen Reads.

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Aug 08, 2012 Peter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Again, I found Ms. Chappell's writing to be extremely exciting to read and finished her second book in less than a couple of days. Both of the books (the other being Total Constant Order) are written for young people, probably teenagers, but are exciting none the less. Both books lend themselves to a series and I hope that she has a sequel.

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Apr 19, 2012 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Aaron--flipped to be an informant after being picked up for drugs.

Morgan--emo/goth girl, dancer who cuts herself; Aaron is interested.

I am buying this for my Ellen Hopkins kids. It's not poetry, but the same type of drama they love. The dialogue and characters feel real. I have met these kids before.

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Sep 02, 2012 Olga rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. There have been few times where I have to stop reading a book because I worry about what's happening. Hunger Games after Rue was one. This was another. Not because it was scary or dark, but because there was no one there to worry about Aaron and I worried for him. His mother existed in the sense that she's alive, but other than that, not a parental figure in the least. Had she had a bigger presence in his life, he wouldn't have gone down the road he ended up on.

I feel l...more

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