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288th out of 304 books
—
382 voters
Rundown
Jennifer Thayer went for a run, threw herself down a hill, and then filed a false police report, claiming that she fought off a rapist. Now the police are reassuring and sympathetic, and hardly anyone questions Jennifer's story. Friends and family express their concern, and the press is interested. But Jennifer can't hide from the only person who knows what really happened...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
January 29th 2001
by Puffin
(first published 1999)
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I can't say I enjoyed this book at all. The characters are very unentertaining and almost annoying in how unaware they are of the context around them. In fact, Jennifer Thayer isn't very likable as the main character, and that's not a good sign. Even when Jennifer goes through her whole ordeal (which wasn't as detailed and climatic as I thought it would be), she doesn't show any change as a person at all, really. Nothing was really offered to like in particular about this book. There aren't any...more
Jul 25, 2011
Tori
added it
2001- Another book that was on my required reading list for school. It centers around jennifer thayer, daughter of two newly well-off parents who seem to care alot....about Jennifer's older ""perfect"" sister. to get attention, Jennifer fakes being assaulted, which brings on many more emotions then Jennifer counted on. At first, I found the fast-moving action exciting, and the set-up promising. I even could identify with Jennifer at some points. Then, however, the story hit a point where I just...more
I don't get the point of this book at all. Jennifer, in my opinion, is plain stupid. I can understand the fact that she faked an attack to gain attention from others, but then to not want the attention after telling the police about the "incident" made it a dumb idea from the start. She was either ambivalent about the idiosyncrasy she created, or is just retarded. Why would you seek attention if you can't be bothered by it? Overall, the book is decent, but the characters made it seem like it was...more
Jennifer Thayer is almost invisible in her family. She lives completely in her sister Cass's shadow. And with Cass's wedding in the near future, she's been ignored.
Maybe that's what leads her to report a crime that never happened. Throwing herself down a hill of brambles and crashing into a lamppost, she convinces the police she has been accosted by the latest rapist in the area - and that she subsequently fought back.
Her story wins her attention in the local media, and from her parents and boyf...more
Maybe that's what leads her to report a crime that never happened. Throwing herself down a hill of brambles and crashing into a lamppost, she convinces the police she has been accosted by the latest rapist in the area - and that she subsequently fought back.
Her story wins her attention in the local media, and from her parents and boyf...more
I did not get this book. The girl fakes an attack, for attention I'm guessing, yet doesn't seem to want the attention. There is some implied abuse, lying and fabrication of and by the sister, but the thought is never completed. The book ends with her taking a bunch of pills then she runs to a phone to call the police woman that has made her life difficult. The summary states that she's running from herself. The book was missing the girl's conflicting dialogue and impending struggles.
I thought that the beginning of the book was really exciting and my initial prediction was that the thrill-factor would continue throughout the book. However, that was not the case at all. The middle of the book was very slow-going and I lost interest pretty quickly. I did make myself finish the book, though, which just made me angry. The author leaves a lot of loose ends with Jennifer's best friend and ex-boyfriend, and then leaves the reader wondering what happened to her in the end. This endi...more
Feb 13, 2008
Taylor Thornton
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
mystery/fiction
Shelves:
book-report-books
Rundown is a realistic fiction book. It is about a girl named Jennifer Thayer that reports a fake crime, and she was the victim. It catched back up to her in the end. Her mother had a job with the law, so that would be a little hard to get away with, but Jennifer did for a period of time. Jennifer had a plan all planned out, but it became a big deal. A big lie. I don't really enjoy reading, but this book did have me on the edge of my seat. It had a lot of suspence, but like all books it had it's...more
At the beginning, the book seemed interesting: A girl who feels like her sister's wedding is overshadowing fakes an attack. However, the plot has tons of plot holes. Chapter after chapter, you have no clue how it transitioned or what day it is. The book overall didn't make any sense. Probably one of the worst books I ever read.
Feb 14, 2008
Stephanie
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teenage girls who feel invisible or feel unappriciated
Shelves:
book-club-books
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Boooo!!!!! >:( This book is HORRIBLE!!! The book was not planned out at all...it made me wonder why this book was even accepted into the library in the first place. It was that bad. I'm officially for the first time ever too angry for words...all I can do is glare and think angry thoughts.
Oct 05, 2010
Sha'terra
is currently reading it
So far this book is pretty good!
great book
hard to follow, this plot was sorta confusing...
A girl crying rape, when in fact nothing happened except her parents ignoring her her whole life, a boyfriend who moved away, and a sister who is manipulative. The story is intriguing, just wish the writing could be as good.
I had rehearsed this in my mind, but doing it felt like just another fantasy. I beat my hands on the top of the police car. This had been what I had visualized with the greatest intensity, my opening lines.
I had rehearsed this in my mind, but doing it felt like just another fantasy. I beat my hands on the top of the police car. This had been what I had visualized with the greatest intensity, my opening lines.
This book is about a teenage girl named Jennifer who lives in a town that has a serial rapist. One night she is out running and she wants to pretend that she got raped for attention basically. This book is kind of boring but some people might like it. I'd recommend it to girls.
ugh. I really did not enjoy this book. It was very dull.
A whiny girl isn't getting enough attention so she pretends she is raped by a serial rapist. Need I say more?
May 15, 2013
Susannah Edwards
is currently reading it
May 08, 2013
Becky
marked it as to-read
Mar 28, 2013
Natalie Sunshine
marked it as to-read
Mar 24, 2013
Igraine
marked it as auf-gar-keinen-fall
Mar 22, 2013
Abby E
is currently reading it
Feb 19, 2013
Portia
marked it as to-read
Oct 18, 2012
Sabrina TwinkleToes
marked it as to-read
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Michael Cadnum is the author of over thirty books. He lives in Albany, California, with his wife Sherina.
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Nov 15, 2011 04:40am