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Paranoid Park

by Blake Nelson

A secret at the skatepark

Regular price $12.77 USD
Regular price $21.29 USD Sale price $12.77 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A secret at the skatepark

Paranoid Park sets a young skateboarder’s dilemma against a divided skate scene: the outlaw park belongs to the “Streeters,” while “Preps” risk entering it. After a fight there ends in a death, the protagonist weighs whether to contact the police or tell his father, then delays both choices. When an officer begins questioning skaters at school, his private indecision meets growing outside pressure. The story’s central tension rests on the consequences of silence and the difficulty of taking responsibility after an impulsive act.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens and young adults interested in young adult fiction about crime and its consequences.
  • Skateboarding readers curious about an outlaw skatepark setting.
  • Readers interested in stories about secrecy, moral responsibility, and difficult choices.

Themes

Moral responsibilitySecrecy and confessionCrime and consequencesSocial divisions

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

In the heart of a bustling city lies a mysterious skateboard park that hides a dark secret.

The inspiration for the major motion picture directed by Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, and Milk)

"Nelson breaks new ground with this psychological thriller tracing the chilling consequences of an impulsive act of violence."--Publishers Weekly

"Nonstop page turning until the surprising conclusion."--Booklist

"[This novel] examines the chasm separating moral responsibility from the eternal damnation of keeping a horrible secret."--School Library Journal

It's called Paranoid Park for a reason. It's an outlaw skatepark where Streeters rule and Preps enter at their own risk. But when one Prep braves the scene alone, he gets mixed up in a fight that leaves someone dead. In the sleepless nights that follow, he decides to call the police. Then doesn't. He decides to tell his dad. But can't. Desperate and scared, he puts off making any decision at all. Maybe no one will ever find out. But when a cop appears at his school wanting to question skaters, the pressure begins to build . . . and whether he wants to or not, he'll have to come to a decision he can live with forever.
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