MY TIME AS CAZ HAZARD by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

MY TIME AS CAZ HAZARD

Author: Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Source: Library

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 103 pages
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551433192
• ISBN-13: 978-1551433196

SYNOPSIS:

When Caz and Amanda's behavior seems to contribute to a classmate's suicide, Caz must take a long hard look at her life.

MY THOUGHTS:

When I went looking at the library for a book focused more on emotional reading than paranormal reading, I came across this book in the young adult section.  Granted, it is a very short book with larger typed font, but the cover was intriguing to me and the blurb on the back seemed to be what I was looking for.

We meet Caz, who goes to a regular school and has just gotten in trouble for punching her cheating boyfriend at school.  She gets 2 sweeks suspension and gossips with her friend Mel over the phone.  Fast forward through the summer and we see her parents talking with the principle of the school and they are going over some of her test scores.  They think Caz needs to be placed in a different school because the believe she has dyslexia.  She fights her parents about this decision and finally has to give in to it.  She leaves behind her friends from school and starts at Dogwood Senior Secondary.  On the first day she is called names like Sped.  When she enters her new class she meets Amanda who has problems of her own.  Amanda becomes a bad influence on her and she falls into the traps of stealing, bullying and lieing.  It catches up to her, when another disabled student commits suicide after the bullying she receives from Amanda and Caz. 

This story was very quick. I read it in 30 minutes tops.  It felt like a book geared more for the younger teens than the older teens, maybe ages 9-12.  It gave a great lesson in accepting certain flaws you may have, but also teaching you about treating others with respect as well.  I think the author could have focused more on the suicide  and bullying instead of the mischief Amanda creates.  Everything happened  very quickly with no substance to it.  Not bad if you are looking for quick read to fill in some time with, but not one I would reread again.

MY RATING:

 
  If the library doesn't have it, don't worry about reading it!