Punishment follows Crime

I have to say I really liked this book, even though the premise was a little convoluted and contrived. But, its realism with regards to the voice of the teenager was true and will speak to young adult readers.

Micheal (the narrator), Bones, Mixer, and Tommy are a group unto themselves in high school. Mr. Haberman, their English teacher, challenges them with Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky even though it is a remedial class. He brings a barrel filled with a questionable substance (is it a body?) into class as a means to illicit a reaction from the group. He wants them to realize that there is a perceived notion about words, thoughts, and suppositions when the tangent evidence is not really in front of you. Your imagination may suggest reasons for a simple act that is totally false, but is evidently possible. When Tommy goes missing, they seemingly piece two and two together and convince themselves that Haberman had something to do with Tommy's disappearance. What results is violence, horror, and then shock when the truth finally reveals itself.

Even though a great injustice was brought upon an innocent individual, that individual rises up to the top and encourages one perpetrator to acknowledge his talent and be true to himself. Whether he will hear those words, is another question altogether. Gentlemen would be a great book for young adult discussion groups as peer pressure, violence, sexuality issues, and literature all meld into one thought-provoking story.