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Killing Mr. Griffin

by Lois Duncan (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 4,344 ratings · 322 reviews

The plan was only to scare their English teacher ...

They never actually intended to kill Mr. Griffin. But sometimes plans go wrong.

Paperback, 223 pages

Published August 1st 1990 by Laurel Leaf (first published 1978)

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Feb 23, 2008 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was thinking about reading this book with my classes during the upcoming six weeks. After reading it, I'm surprised that my school purchased a class set of it. Perhaps, eighth graders could handle it -- but, I know my little sixth graders could not. Multiple instances of cursing, the use of illicit substances and the fact that the entire book is about covering up a murder is a bit much. I'd also feel a knife going into my chest with every Hamlet reference that went completely over my students'...more

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May 12, 2013 Jenna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-wasted-my-time

This was another "wonderful" book I was stuck reading in English class. Ugh.... I could just say "no comment" and be done ,but I feel like I have to explain why I rated this so low. Here are some of the reasons why I didnt like this book.
1. The main climax is given away in the title
2. The main character ,Sue, is pitiful and is extremely weak-willed. Even though she is a good, smart girl she easily turns to bad just because a boy she likes asks her to. :0....What? That she makes such a bad deci...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Writingmachine rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was overall disappointed with this book. Back in middle school my reading class was on a Lois Duncan fix ever since we read one of her other novels They Never Came Home, which I enjoyed very much. I've know about this novel since middle school, but only read it recently as an assignment in my college literature class.

They story is about five high school students, who plan to kidnap their very strict English teacher for a prank and unintentionally kill him when he is unable to take his angina...more I was overall disappointed with this book. Back in middle school my reading class was on a Lois Duncan fix ever since we read one of her other novels They Never Came Home, which I enjoyed very much. I've know about this novel since middle school, but only read it recently as an assignment in my college literature class.

They story is about five high school students, who plan to kidnap their very strict English teacher for a prank and unintentionally kill him when he is unable to take his angina medication. The four popular kids of the bunch, David (senior class president), Mark (a popular sociopath), Betsy (a cheerleader), and Jeff (star basketball player) convince a very quiet and nerdy Susan to assist them in the prank. The rest of the story is about how their secret unfolds.

I did not like several things about this book including the ending.

(view spoiler)

I will say that how their secret unraveled was well executed and clever, but that's about it. This novel just didn't do it for me. I was glad I got a copy of the book without all the modernization in it. I've seen a copy like that and the editing is sloppy. One minute google is mentioned and the next a typewriter comes into play. Very confusing. If you're going to read this book, definitely skip the newer addition.(less)

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May 16, 2012 Andres Guevara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is called "Killing Mr. Griffin" by Lois Duncan.
The book is about this teenage boy called Mark Kinney. He hates his English teacher. His name is Mr. Griffin. Mr. Griffin is one of those teachers that you hat. He always makes pop quizez, gives a lot of homework and never smiles in class. Every of his students hate him. In purpose, he also gives bad grades to well written papers. So Mark creates a plan of kidnapping Mr. Giffin. He wants Mr. Griffin to suffer. He wants him to have a taste...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Dalton rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an all around good book. I liked the story and I could connect to some of the characters. It starts out with five kids planning to kidnap their strict English teacher. They kidnap him in the school parking lot, then drive him to a remote place in the Sandia Mountains. There they try to make him beg for freedom, but he refuses, so they leave him there for a few hours. When two of the kids go back, they find Mr. Griffin dead. They tell the rest of the gang, and create a plan to get rid of...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Purple rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this for my 7th Grade English class with Mr. David Marsden. A very interesting story and worthy of appreciating.

Summary from Wikipedia
Brian Griffin is a school teacher who never accepts late homework and is extremely demanding of his students. After he gives out F's to a group of students who fail to turn in their papers on time, the students—the popular crowd—decide to get revenge by kidnapping him. Mark Kinney is the one most often singled out by Mr. Griffin, because the semester befor...more I read this for my 7th Grade English class with Mr. David Marsden. A very interesting story and worthy of appreciating.

Summary from Wikipedia
Brian Griffin is a school teacher who never accepts late homework and is extremely demanding of his students. After he gives out F's to a group of students who fail to turn in their papers on time, the students—the popular crowd—decide to get revenge by kidnapping him. Mark Kinney is the one most often singled out by Mr. Griffin, because the semester before, Mark had plagiarized a term paper with help from his former girlfriend, Lana Turnbolt, who stole the paper from the college she was attending at the time. This was the same college that Mr. Griffin had formerly served as an assistant professor. Instantly recognizing this paper, Mr. Griffin checked the college archives and then failed Mark and humiliated him in front of his class, making him beg to be allowed to take the course again.
Later, in the company of his wife Kathy, Mr. Griffin admits that he gave up a chance at tenure at the college, deciding to return to high school to teach students to write. While Mr. Griffin earned a Ph.D at University and became an assistant professor in the state college, Kathryn was a C student in high school and had later worked as a clerk in a department store.
The group of friends includes Mark Kinney, David Ruggles (president of the high school's senior class), Jeff Garrett (a basketball player) and Betsy Cline (the head cheerleader). Mark lives with his aunt and uncle Ivan, who helped him get back into Griffin's class, but Mark spurns them—leaving the house first thing in the morning and returning late at night. David is a good and popular student aiming to get the state university scholarship, so a poor grade in Griffin's literature class would jeopardize that. David faces further pressures in his life to succeed in order to be able to support his family, since his mother is in a dead-end secretarial job, and as his nagging and lazy grandmother lives with them. David hopes to fulfill the expectations of his father—whose alma mater was Stanford—and who had years ago left the family for some unknown reason. Jeff is completely obedient to Mark and does things for the group like driving them around and often paying for their meals. Jeff's parents do not approve of Mark, but assume that he hangs out with a well-adjusted student like Jeff because Mark comes from a dysfunctional family and must idolize Jeff, when it is actually the opposite. Betsy is spoiled and snobbish, being popular in high school social circles, and secretly has a crush on Mark, though she is Jeff's girlfriend.
Mark has the idea to kidnap Mr. Griffin, saying it's only as a prank to scare the teacher and "teach him a lesson", while it's really only because Mark wants revenge after Griffin made a fool out of him last semester.They drive Mr. Griffin to a secret place in the mountains—an area so remote, that Mark is the only one who has used it, for outings with his former girlfriend, Lana Turnbolt.
Betsy arrives in the parking lot after the boys have left with Mr. Griffin. She was late, thanks to a speeding ticket. Susan was supposed to get in the car with Betsy, but Susan doesn't want to take any more part in the scheme than she has to. Betsy heads to the mountains. Once she arrives, the group begins taunting Mr. Griffin, telling him to beg for his life or they would kill him. They find Mr. Griffin's medicine and don't give it back, eventually smashing the pills without knowing their purpose. Mark tells Mr. Griffin to beg or they will leave him there the whole night. However, Mr. Griffin refuses, so they abandon him there on Mark's orders, blindfolded and bound.
Later, Susan defies Mark and begs David to go check on Mr. Griffin. He gives in, and when they reach the spot, they find him dead. Susan and David hurry to find Mark, Jeff, and Betsy, who were at a basketball game. Mark decides that they will cover up their accidental murder instead of going to the police. Mr. Griffin's wife goes to the police the next day, because her husband was not home when he was supposed to be.
A few days after Mr. Griffin's death, a police officer pulls Susan from a class to question her, because she was the last person to see Mr. Griffin alive (or so they believe). Mark meets her in the hallway before she reaches the office and instructs Susan on what to tell the police. She tells the police that Mr. Griffin spent the whole conference looking at his watch and eventually got into a car with a pretty woman.
Everyone except for Susan heads to the mountains and they place Mr. Griffin in a shallow grave. David and Jeff do all of the digging. David secretly takes Mr. Griffin's Stanford class ring, because it reminds David of his father. Jeff takes the car and resprays it gray, telling his parents that it's a friend's car and he's fixing it. Then he and Betsy drive it to the airport and use a cloth to wipe off the fingerprints from the steering wheel. Susan does not go to help, because the group is afraid she might have a nervous breakdown. Betsy, who secretly has a crush on Mark, becomes resentful that he has asked Betsy to take a hands-on role in disposing the evidence, and is also jealous that Mark is spending so much time with a plain girl like Susan.
Mr. Griffin's wife, Kathy, pays Susan a visit at her home, upset because she believes that Susan lied in her report to the police. Mrs. Griffin points out that Mr. Griffin couldn't have been wearing his watch that day, because it was at home, broken. Susan gets nervous, but Mrs. McConnel backs up her daughter saying she would never lie. Then arrives David and Mark. Mrs. McConnell ends the session by saying that if Susan remembers anything she will contact Kathy.
Days later, Mark's ex-girlfriend, Lana, has a picnic with her fiancee at the secret place in the mountains. The couple discovers Mr. Griffin’s medicine bottle for his heart condition. Informing the police, they also mention there was a patch of dirt that looked like it had been recently uprooted. The police check it out, and find Mr. Griffin's body buried in the hole. Brian Griffin's murder is all over the news.
David’s grandmother finds the ring David took that had belonged to Mr. Griffin. She mistakenly believes it belongs to David's father, who left David’s mother a long time ago. David's grandmother believes David has been secretly meeting with his father, and that's why he's been acting so strange lately. David's mother does not take his grandmother seriously, but the conspirators know they need to hide or destroy the ring since it is evidence of their crime. However, the grandmother will not return the ring to David until she gets to meet with David's father.
David's grandmother is killed, a neighbor referring to the killer as a "boy in a brown sweater." When David learns that she is dead, he is overcome with grief and takes no further part in the plot. Susan makes the connection, knowing that Mark has a brown sweater he wears all the time, and that Mark would stop at nothing to get what he needed - in this case, the ring.
Susan then threatens to tell the police all that the group has done. Mark orders Jeff and Betsy to bind Susan and they leave. Mark tells Susan what really happened to his father - that he set their house on fire and killed him. Susan realizes that he's going to do the same to her. He sets her curtains on fire. Susan also realizes she hates him, but loves him. Miraculously, Susan is saved by Kathy Griffin, who recognizes her husband's Chevy in Susan's driveway when she sees Susan's house on fire. Though the car had been repainted, the gray color can't be made out in the dark, and Mrs. Griffin recognizes the patched upholstery.
The conspiracy unravels with all of those involved facing varying degrees of criminal charges, except for Susan who is granted amnesty in exchange for her testimony at Mark's murder trial. The novel ends with Susan's mother telling her that Mark will be blamed for manipulating her along with the other students, because he has been diagnosed as a psychopath.(less)

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Mar 27, 2011 Amy Y. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-2011-advisory

The book Killing Mr. Griffin, is about this group of teenagers plotting revenge on their English Literature teacher named Brian Griffin. Mr. Griffin's skills of grading papers triggers the enraged emotions with most of his students. Then, they decided to put a end to this. They wanted to pull a prank on Mr. Griffin is that he could get the taste of his own medicine. However, when the prank had been "pulled" too far...It was already too late. They killed Mr. Griffin! Now, the group of teenagers m...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Cornmaven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-school

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is supposedly an updated version of the original 1978, where Duncan inserts a little modern technology into the narrative. Unfortunately, it's not enough to modernize it accurately, and I felt it took away from the story. I think she should have just left it as a period piece. Example - Google is mentioned once and cell phones are briefly mentioned as updated plot explanations, yet no kid goes home and gets on a computer, the kids are not in contact via cell phone either by voice or text, e...more This is supposedly an updated version of the original 1978, where Duncan inserts a little modern technology into the narrative. Unfortunately, it's not enough to modernize it accurately, and I felt it took away from the story. I think she should have just left it as a period piece. Example - Google is mentioned once and cell phones are briefly mentioned as updated plot explanations, yet no kid goes home and gets on a computer, the kids are not in contact via cell phone either by voice or text, etc.
Another red flag - Griffin's offer to drive Susan home would be an absolute no-no today for a teacher, yet it would not have been an issue in 1978. And another - Mark's plagiarism; in 1978 he would have needed someone to help him obtain a research paper to use. Today, he could have easily gone onto the internet and copied and pasted stuff. So if Duncan were to have truly updated the thing, all of this would have been changed.

I also felt that the behavior of the students was more rooted in 1978 'innocence' than today's more savvy teens. The whole plot is naive, and I don't think that many students today would have gone along with it, despite Mark's Svengali-like nature. But back in 1978?- absolutely. What was interesting was the whole section about teens not being prepared for college, getting easy assignments in HS, and the bombing out at the university. That rang so true for today, but it was important to see that it still existed back in the "good old days". The only thing I think Duncan changed there was David's tension about getting into a good college - back in 1978, so few kids went to college compared to today that getting top notch grades in HS was not on the radar of a lot of them. They could still get good paying non-degree jobs, as opposed to today's climate.

In the end, the salient points about this novel are the nature of peer pressure, and what kids need to resist it when it turns deadly.
And the whole book is "made" by Griffin's final note to Susan, connecting Hamlet and the "little deaths" that Griffin brings upon the students, and they bring upon him. (although Duncan feels that phrase only applies to the students' actions, I have to disagree)(less)

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Jul 20, 2010 Shally Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: june-july-2010

What can happen when the only thing a group of high schoolers have in common is hating their English teacher? A cheerleader, class president, jock, a bad boy and a nerd get together to plot how to sabotage their teacher who gives them hard assignments and hands out bad grades. After kidnapping their teacher, the situation gets out of hand when they did not realize their teacher had a heart condition and ends up dying because of tier actions. Now the high schoolers are faced with a serious crime...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a future high school English teacher I found this book a little disturbing. Five high school students who are tired of being jerked around by their English teacher, Mr. Griffin, plan to kidnap him. Their plan is to kidnap and humiliate the teacher. The participants include the jock, the cheerleader, the class president, the bad boy, and the mousey nerd. Their plan seems to go off as planned, except one little thing: Mr. Griffin is dead! The kids weren't aware that Mr. Griffin had a heart cond...more

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Nov 10, 2009 Trey D added it

The book I read was a little easier and the reason I chose it was because intricate plots and twisting action throughout most books can lose me and have me just staring at the page. This book had great character descriptions and during the story their descriptions suited them well as they story progressed. The main action was during the middle of the book and the plot was easily understood, (especially for a terrible reader), but despite its clarity and its extricating plot the author should’ve...more

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May 06, 2011 Eileen Lepetit rated it 2 of 5 stars

Do you have any friends named Betsey? How about Lana – or even Sue? I’m guessing not. When your little brother is a complete moron, do you suggest that he “hush” – or do you perhaps say something stronger? My money is on stronger.

The story behind Killing Mr. Griffin sounds pretty cool: students hate strict teacher, decide to teach strict teacher a lesson – oops! – something goes seriously wrong. As a reasonably strict teacher myself, I think it’s just common sense to read these kinds of books....more Do you have any friends named Betsey? How about Lana – or even Sue? I’m guessing not. When your little brother is a complete moron, do you suggest that he “hush” – or do you perhaps say something stronger? My money is on stronger.

The story behind Killing Mr. Griffin sounds pretty cool: students hate strict teacher, decide to teach strict teacher a lesson – oops! – something goes seriously wrong. As a reasonably strict teacher myself, I think it’s just common sense to read these kinds of books. I need to know what the students are plotting so I can “watch my back,” so to speak.

It all sounds good, right? Eh. I thought the story was interesting, but the more I read, the more something was really off. First, the names. Betsey? Really? The last time I heard the name Betsey was when I was in high school which was – well, let’s just say it was in the 20th century. Then, the setting details. How many of you actually make Jell-o out of package? Why would you, when it comes in those amazing little plastic cups? What about television? What do you watch? Idol? DWTS? Not, I assume, The Newlywed Game or Let’s Make a Deal.

The more I read, the more I realized that this story was taking place in the 70’s, so I looked at the date in the front of the book and saw that it was originally published in 1978. That would be fine if the story was supposed to be taking place in the 70’s, but the author seems to have gone back in and added modern details like references to Google and cell phones. In the meantime, big things like mothers don’t seem to go to work during the day, but rather, sit around and play cards, are left like they are normal. I could be wrong, but I don’t think mothers have done that since Bewitched was running in prime time. (Yes, it was a TV show before it was a movie.)

My biggest complaint about Killing Mr. Griffin, however, is that the dialogue is completely unnatural. As a middle school teacher, I have a really good idea of what students sound like – and this isn’t it. “Will this do?” one teenager asks. Huh? I wish students spoke like that.

In my opinion, if the author wanted an updated version of her book, she should have changed much, much more. It isn’t enough to add a couple of pop culture details without eliminating those that are really dated. It’s like giving Ebenezer Scrooge an iPhone and trying to make us believe the story took place last Christmas. OK; so I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea.

In the end, the story wasn’t terrible – but the dialogue was awful.
To read more about this book, as well as reviews of other young adult titles, check out my blog at readingisntlame.blogspot.com.
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Feb 26, 2009 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read the book Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan, the book was about a small group of high schoolers that have an English teacher that is tougher then trigonometry. The teacher Mr. Griffin pushes the teens to the edge until they can’t take it anymore. I believe that Duncan writes this story to express past feelings about a teacher or superior that was similar to Mr. Griffin. Duncan was trying to write to a younger audience that is in school; with teachers that seem impossible to impress. The a...more I read the book Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan, the book was about a small group of high schoolers that have an English teacher that is tougher then trigonometry. The teacher Mr. Griffin pushes the teens to the edge until they can’t take it anymore. I believe that Duncan writes this story to express past feelings about a teacher or superior that was similar to Mr. Griffin. Duncan was trying to write to a younger audience that is in school; with teachers that seem impossible to impress. The author’s point of view is third person omniscient. This story for the most part is being told by David, Susan, Mr. Griffin, and a couple others; its important that they tell this story from their because it is being told from all their points of view on the situations at hand. The group time period was towards the end of the school year; I believe that it’s accurate to a high schooler’s life. There wasn’t anything that was un-believable to my realization of life; because people die every day. I think that I connect most with Jeff, he is the jock that finds trouble with his some what trouble minded friends. I believe that the author exceeded his expectations on the book. I learned that you can’t trust people you don’t know, because their pasts can come back to haunt them. Mark played all of his friends to save his own skin; and his dad got the same treatment too. I Know What You Did Last Summer; the movie and book. Those two are perfect comparable stories, and they were written by Duncan as well. The title tells its readers that Mr. Griffin has a short life expectance. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller or mystery; because it keeps you on the edge of your sit and makes you keep guessing.
I believe that this book was enjoyable to read and made me wanting more. I agree with the message of the story, but don’t believe it applies to every person you know. The ending blew me away, I didn’t see it coming. 4, I feel that it deserved this rating; because it was a great read, but the beginning takes a while to take off. "How do you like it being on the ground for a change? It's not so great is it, being down where people can walk on you? Well, now you know how your students feel all the time" (Duncan).
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Nov 28, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

I'm really not sure what to make of this book. I don't know whether I liked it or not, whether I'd describe it as "good" or not, but wow. That was intense. I predicted things that were going to happen, and I always like it when I can predict things in books because I always feel smart or special or something, but this time was different. (view spoiler)...more I'm really not sure what to make of this book. I don't know whether I liked it or not, whether I'd describe it as "good" or not, but wow. That was intense. I predicted things that were going to happen, and I always like it when I can predict things in books because I always feel smart or special or something, but this time was different. (view spoiler) I was so invested in the characters and what happened, and was predicting so many things, and yelling at them, talking to the characters about how idiotic they were. I guess my main point is that I would never have expected to have liked this book so much, have been this invested, but so happy to be right at the same time as being horrified at what was happening... It was amazing and strange, and I'm still not sure if I liked it or not, but I guess I did if my reaction was this great, so that's how I rated it. I guess I'd recommend this book to people who are ready, mature enough, to like it and not think it silly or too gross or morbid or depressing, but it doesn't necessarily have to be people who like this sort of book, or this style, normally, because I certainly didn't and look where I am now.

Overall, I'd definitely say this book is worth a try reading, is well-written if it can bring out this strong of connections to the characters and what happens, and this strong reactions, and I think it was good. I can't tell for sure, but that's my best guess. (less)

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Apr 25, 2009 PurplyCookie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, thriller-novel

The story is about five high school students who plan to scare their English teacher by kidnapping him, to get even for his strict grading. It all goes wrong when the teacher dies of heart failure while they have him tied up. The plot was very well crafted, especially the details of how their cover-up unravels. It's skillfully written to maintain suspense through the length of the book but it still lags in some parts for me. The difficult characterization of the victim is handled perfectly; you...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Jess rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, jgms-summer-reading, crime, 2012-ya-audiobook-challenge

Man, this book. About halfway through, I tried to piece together the message of this book, and all I could decide on was: don't follow sociopaths that think it's neat to set cats on fire; shit will only escalate from there.

Our cast of characters:

Sue - our wallflower heroine, dull as dirt and socially isolated to an unrealistic degree. Remember that episode of Buffy, when Clea Duval turned invisible because her classmates ignored her? That's Sue without any of Clea's charm.

David - class president...more Man, this book. About halfway through, I tried to piece together the message of this book, and all I could decide on was: don't follow sociopaths that think it's neat to set cats on fire; shit will only escalate from there.

Our cast of characters:

Sue - our wallflower heroine, dull as dirt and socially isolated to an unrealistic degree. Remember that episode of Buffy, when Clea Duval turned invisible because her classmates ignored her? That's Sue without any of Clea's charm.

David - class president, raised by his mother and invalidish grandmother after his father abandoned the family when he was a child. The most interesting, developed character, and he basically disappears at the end.

Betsy & Jeff - generic cheerleader and jock. Both appear to have crushes on Mark.

Mark - delinquent of the setting cats-on-fire for kicks variety. Hatches the plan to kidnap their teacher, Mr. Griffin. Guess how that turns out?

Duncan believes in telling, never showing. David is popular (we never see him interact with anyone outside of the main five), Mark charms everyone he meets (he lacks even the ability to fake empathy, charming consists of refering to girls as "baby"), Betsy is adorabubs (she can't flirt her way out of a speeding ticket). Dialogue should not be used to create character or build relationships, but rather to spout exposition about something we already know. Bonus points if you have a character say what they just thought!

I started a counter for every time the kids did something that left physical evidence at the scene of their crime or took an action to invalidate their alibi. We hit double digits, people. The resolution hints at consequences, but largely brushes aside the responsibility of all but one of our conspirators (spoiler: it's Mark!).

I'm trying to figure out the audience for this book, but I can't. There's no mystery, no suspense, no emotional connection to the characters or their actions whatsoever. The lesson, if there even is one, is a trite platitude as tired as the characters who "learn" it: don't give into peer-pressure; value your teachers, especially the challenging ones!

PS - If you must read, avoid the audiobook. The slow-southern monotone did nothing to improve my relationship with the characters and almost had me falling asleep in traffic.(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Scott Volz rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-novel, grades-9-12, suspense-thriller, publishedbefore2001

Five teens decide to kidnap their overdemanding, taskmaster English teacher so that he gets a taste of the anger he inspires in his students (who are unappreciative of the fact that Griffin, in his own rough way, really just wants them to be prepared for college). But the plan goes awry. Griffin, who suffers from a heart condition, has a heart attack and dies. Relying on the guidance of Mark, the mastermind of the original scheme, the group decides that they're in too deep for honesty. Instead,...more

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May 01, 2013 Jalen Flie rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story is about five high school students who plan to scare their English teacher by kidnapping him. It all starts when a college professor turns to high school teaching. He is rather strict with his students, which makes many of his students not like him. He teaches an advanced class which means there are mostly seniors that are in it for college credits. But, there is one junior named Susan McConnell in Mr. Griffin's class. Mr. Griffin won't tell anyone but he thinks Susan is one of the bes...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I like how the author shows us Mr. Griffin from the kids' point of view, so we understand why they dislike him so. And I like how she then shifts to show us Mr. Griffin's world, so we understand what motivates him, and realize how wrong the kids are about him. I liked the build-up to the event and then how the author shows us how different the kidnapping is than what the gang thought it would be, and how the cover-up slowly unravels around them. Wha...more For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I like how the author shows us Mr. Griffin from the kids' point of view, so we understand why they dislike him so. And I like how she then shifts to show us Mr. Griffin's world, so we understand what motivates him, and realize how wrong the kids are about him. I liked the build-up to the event and then how the author shows us how different the kidnapping is than what the gang thought it would be, and how the cover-up slowly unravels around them. What I didn't like was the publisher's attempt to update the story. According to the interview at the end of the book, Lois Duncan herself did the updating, but that didn't make it work any better. I think the whole idea behind updating these re-issued stories is that today's readers won't understand the world of 1978, but that's just insulting. Young readers today understand the world has changed--just as readers in 1978 understood that books written in the 1940s reflected a very different era. And I've just got to wonder why, when the author and publisher undertook to update these books, they didn't realize what a hopeless task it was? Mores, attitudes, lifestyles, families, etc., are completely different now. You can't just throw in a few references to cell phones and DVDs and expect the story to feel updated. Not when you've got scenes like a daughter coming home after school and calling the neighbor's house where her mom is playing cards with a group of friends in the afternoon--normal for 1978, but not so now. Or a police officer asking Mrs. Griffin if Mr. Griffin was in the service and what his service number was. Reasonable question for 1978, but not now. My favorite update, though, was when a character began a conversation on a cell phone and ended it when she "replaced the receiver on the hook." (Oops!) The distracting "updates" were the difference between a four-star and a three-star review for me. The publisher and the author should have trusted these stories to stand on their own--and trusted the readers of today to understand them regardless of dated references.(less)

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Feb 09, 2010 Kari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-or-work-related

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 05, 2013 Garrett Zecker rated it 2 of 5 stars

Killing Mr. Griffin was written in the last great era of juvenile literature prior to the one that is sweeping our youth today. I believe this era to have existed somewhere in the areas of 1975-85, when authors like Duncan, Andrews, and Cormier led the YA vanguard toward today's resurgence. There seemed to be a lull somewhere in the 85-95 time period in my opinion, where books seemed dumbed down and a little more tailored to serial stories and writer-based genre work (but in all fairness, Andrew...more Killing Mr. Griffin was written in the last great era of juvenile literature prior to the one that is sweeping our youth today. I believe this era to have existed somewhere in the areas of 1975-85, when authors like Duncan, Andrews, and Cormier led the YA vanguard toward today's resurgence. There seemed to be a lull somewhere in the 85-95 time period in my opinion, where books seemed dumbed down and a little more tailored to serial stories and writer-based genre work (but in all fairness, Andrews and her ghostwriter, Cormier, and Duncan continued to work through it) but picked up again and continues to thrive today with bookstores and libraries dedicating sections to YA literature. Today, I rarely see value in some of these works where I tend to find the pieces either encompassing gothic romance, drug and abuse-addled teenage-hood, or gang-urban themes that teens tend to love to read and voraciously devour, but have little thematic and subject connection with reality. There are some occasional winners, but they are few and far between.

This book seems to be one of the more popular in the entire Duncan canon, and one of the ones that she is most known for. I have read I Know What You Did Last Summer with my students, and frankly I have differing opinions on both of them. This book tends to have a little bit of an honest social commentary that adults and students can appreciate. I think that the lens that is placed upon teachers both from the teacher's, parent's, public's, and student's perspectives are all incredibly accurate. It is interesting that a book over 30 years old can still reflect the realities of an education system that, even though we want to fully embrace every aspect and new research model that comes along, may not have really changed throughout the decades (and also may never change in future decades).

I can't really complain about the diction/vocabulary/narrative elements of the book - while it is not my favorite, I cannot really blame it because it is clearly the genre that it attempts to be... But then again, there are even picture books that I like a tremendous amount and others that I don't really care for. One complaint that I have about this book is the structure of the plot. I think that the final two chapters are a little rushed; so much so that I am surprised that there are so many passing references to the legal ramifications of a GROUP OF TEENS MURDERING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER... I just have a hard time believing that the young Susan can just walk away with a testimony and did not really have too much trouble trying to explain why she was obstructing justice. I also have a hard time believing that A) was this really some of the tactics used surrounding the car/evidence/crime scene? They were so haphazard and bizarrely untechnical and 2) along with the culture and climate of their high school that 3) they did not catch these kids sooner? Really?

Regardless, I have to hand it to Duncan for creating yet another high interest fast paced read for teens. Sure, this is the same thing as IKWYDLS, and the ending is so unsatisfying and quick, but it is what it is. It is a little fun, and not everyone who should gets punished, and it is not written to my reading level, and, and, and,....but it is a popcorn YA novel that is fun and predictable (mostly) and this particular one is refreshingly real. As an adult who teaches, I can really appreciate chapter 5. Definitely a fun romp in high school emotions, gossipy kids, impulsive and stupid decisions, and the ramifications of trying to wade out of a sea of lies. Exactly where any teen could find reading pleasure.
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Apr 21, 2010 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought that Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan was a very good book. There is a lot of suspense and it is a very thrilling book. This book was actually written in third person which made it more interesting to read. The theme of the book is shown by the bad consequences that could have happened from the risks that the characters made. Within the book the author wrote explicit details and explanations of the characters like Susan McConnell. She is described as an intelligent and nerdy characte...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Valerie Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mr. Griffin teaches literature and he isn’t the kind of teacher who is well liked. He humiliated a student for cheating on a paper, and that student gathered his friends together to get revenge. This group decided to kidnap him and teach him a lesson. It was supposed to only be a prank, and no one was supposed to get hurt. Unfortunately, Mr. Griffin misses some important medication and ends up dying. The group is frantic and doesn’t know what to do. Sue is the most remorseful and wants to tell t...more

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Nov 19, 2011 stars rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, mystery, horror, suspense, thrillers, realistic-fiction, fiction, crime, banned-books, own

There are some books that are banned that I think, "There really isn't anything [that I can see] that would make me want this book banned..or to even see why it would bother people." This is an exception. I can see why this one would be banned. I know during my school years I got angry at certain teachers...what kid hasn't? But there ARE people who would go to extremes, and I think that is why this book would be banned. It's creepy to think that this could happen, and that is where most of the t...more

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Jan 27, 2009 bjneary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, mystery, realistic-fiction

What a great little suspense book for the reluctant reader. It is only 222 pages and really is a page turner. Students have a nasty teacher (well they think he is) and one day after they all get bad grades, someone makes the chance remark, "That Griffin guy is the kind you'd like to kill." The leader of the pack, Mark, gets everyone to believe they will just kidnap him, scare him, and Mr Griffin will become a NICE teacher when he sees what it is like ont he receiving end. Simple, right- NOT---as...more

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Oct 25, 2009 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of suspense books, all ages

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites

When I found this old thing sitting quietly on the top shelf of the Young Adult section in Borders, next to a couple more Lois Duncan books, I was hesitant. It seemed like one of those generic little suspense books for teens--like one of those wannabe Twilight fantasy books that have overly cheesy premises and even cheesier dialogue. But something about this book made me want to buy all 6 dollars and 99 cents of its glory. Was it the cover? Maybe. Was it the vague description on the back? Could...more When I found this old thing sitting quietly on the top shelf of the Young Adult section in Borders, next to a couple more Lois Duncan books, I was hesitant. It seemed like one of those generic little suspense books for teens--like one of those wannabe Twilight fantasy books that have overly cheesy premises and even cheesier dialogue. But something about this book made me want to buy all 6 dollars and 99 cents of its glory. Was it the cover? Maybe. Was it the vague description on the back? Could be. But I'm glad I didn't skip the opportunity to read it.

Seeing as I've never read I Know What You Did Last Summer, nor have I seen the movie (two facts that I hate admitting), I was pretty shocked when I found out that Lois Duncan is a damn good author. Yes, the premise was a little hard to believe (a group of high school students team up to kidnap their tough-as-nails English teacher to give him a little "scare"), but Duncan makes it work. She decides to tell the tale in an unlimited third-person perspective, such a smart decision that weaves the entire story together. And oh God, the details.

Because of the way she told the story, it weaves together, never leaving a single detail unexplained. The little things she adds to spice the story up a little bit, making sure that David's grandmother notices the bitter taste of the green Jell-O, or that Jeff's parents notice that their son always does things for Mark but he never gives him anything in return, is brilliant. Because once the story comes to a finish, readers will put it down, rewind everything in their heads, and let out a nice, long, "Ohhhh."

But while the details are the muscle of the book, they're also the weakness. Duncan tells the story so intricately that it seems a bit formulaic at times, sounding as if everything that happened was completely planned out. Still, she never lets things get too predictable, and towards the end, the readers are still on their knees, waiting to see what happens.

I do wish she had tied things up a little more, but overall, I am highly satisfied with this book, and I will definitely explore more of Lois Duncan's works. 4.5 stars.(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Mrrik Noubarentz rated it 2 of 5 stars

I chose this book because the title seemed intresting and mysterical. This book is about a bunch of kids who hate their teacher so much, they kidnapp him and take him up to a deserted hill as a prank. They leave him there overnight, and when they come back the next morning, they found him dead. He had breathing problems that needed specific medication that he did not get to use. The kids just pile lies on top of lies to save themselves from the horrendous penalties that would follow if caught. M...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

While placed at what I consider to be a slightly lower reading level, probably around middle school age, this is one of my favorite books. As a book that I studied as a mere 7th grader, I was (and still am) fascinated by the overall ambiance of the novel. The characters were, in my opinion, fairly fleshed out since several chapters would carefully introduce each character and the backstory at some other point.

The suspense is amazing, and since it is coupled with plot twists and emotional scenes...more

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May 16, 2013 Toni rated it 4 of 5 stars

I remember watching a TV movie about this book a few years before I read it. It didn't click until I saw the movie again shortly after reading the book. I think the book was better then the movie. Which seems to be something with Mrs. Duncan's books. "I know what you did last summer" was another one of her stories that was a better read then the movie.

This was the first book I read from Lois Duncan and I became hooked! For about two years straight I read books by her and Caroline B. Cooney in f...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

This is a quick YA suspense read, with a nice emotional punch. Duncan develops her characters well, and left me wanting to know more about what happened to them. I was struck by the final scene in the book and the elegant way she conveys the devastation of story's events on the main character without overdramatzing or spelling it out.

I read on Amazon that Lois Duncan is in the process of updating her books to be set in the present day, for paperback re-release. Seems like an interesting trend i...more

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About Lois Duncan

Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz, April 28, 1934) is an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but gr...more Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz, April 28, 1934) is an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.

Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.

Duncan is best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.

In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case. Duncan is now completing work on the sequel to that book, The Tally Keeper, which picks up Kait's story where the first book leaves off. It's under option as the pilot for a TV series.

The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).

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“It's only by facing things that you ever put them behind you.
-Mrs. McConnell to Susan” — 1 person liked it

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