Student Book Review:


Silent Night

by: Mary Higgins Clark

Review done by:

 Alecia S.
Grade 7
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY
Silent Night was a great book filled with twists, and turns and you never knew what was going to happen next. Catherine Doran had a perfect life until her husband, Tom, got sick and went to a hospital in New York City. It was Christmas eve and Catherine and her boys went to New York City to spend Christmas with her husband and her mother. Before Catherine went to the hospital to see her husband with her two boys she deiced to bring them to see the Rocker feller tree. When they got there , there were people playing the violin. Catherine gave her sons, Michael and Brian a dollar to give the violin players. As Brian went up to give the dollar to the violin players he noticed that someone was taking his mother's purse. Without thinking he fallowed the girl that took the purse thinking he would be brave like his older brother Michael.
When the person who stole the purse went into a apartment complex Brian went in after her. He stayed far enough behind her so she wouldn't see him. When Brian got up to her apartment and rang the doorbell a man answered the door and behind him was a frightened girl. The, girls' name was Cally, she looked nice but scared. The man was Jimmy, the boy and girl looked a lot alike. Almost like brother and sister. The man was mean to her so Brian thought it was a bugler but found out it was Cally's sister.
When Jimmy left with Brian, Cally didn't know what to do. Her brother said that if she told the police about Brian, Jimmy would kill Brian. Cally knew that he was serious because he had shot a security guard at the jail in order to get out. Cally didn't say anything for as long as she could but once she heard Catherine and Michael pleading for anyone who knew anything about the kidnappingto help them in any way Cally had no choice but to help them and reporte Jimmy it to the police.
As time went by, Michael the older brother started to get worried and soon realized that he might not see his brother again. Michael always made fun of Brian and told him how he didn't care if he ran away and never came back because of this he thought Brian had run away from what he had said. At first Michael thought that Brian was playing a trick but as time went on but as time went on Michael realized that he wasn't playing and that he wouldn't run away from his family.
Catherine deiced that she shouldn't tell her husband, Tom, about what happened to Brian. She didn't tell him because she thought he would get overworked about it and might hurt himself even more. When Catherine first came down it was her goal to spend as much time as possible with her husband and kids. When Catherine went to the hospital and showed up without Michael and Brian he didn't know why and Catherine promised that she would bring them in the next morning. As time went on and the search for Brian went on Catherine thought that she might not be able to bring Brian to the hospital the next day.
As Brian and Jimmy headed to the Canadian border, Brian got more worried that his parents might not be able to find him and give up. Because of this thought Brian took his safety onto his own hands and tried to unbuckle himself and jump out. As he did this, Jimmy caught on and stopped him and told him that if he ever didn't that again that Jimmy would kill him and Brian knew he meant it.
As the chase continues for Jimmy and Brian, Catherine started to think that time was running out. If you like to read a book that is exciting and full of suspense. Then you have to read Silent Night.
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