The Last Chance Texaco

1. The Last Chance Texaco By: Kelsey Crowe

2. Title: The Last Chance Texaco • Genre: Fiction • Author: Brent Hartinger

3. Summary Lucy’s parents died in a car accident when she was 7 years old and has been through many foster care facilities, and now is at The Kindle Home. If she makes one slip up then she will be sent to the Eat-Their-Young Island, (a horrible facility.) While at the Kindle Home, she meets a boy named Nate, who she falls in love with. A few weeks later, somebody has been lighting cars on fire, and suddenly the neighbors assume that whoever is guilty for this reoccurring incident, is someone from the Kindle Home, and because of this, the neighbors want to shut the Kindle Home down. To keep this from happening, Lucy and Nate try to go out at night and catch the criminal on video.

4. Point of View • 1st Person; Told from Lucy’s Point of View. • My Point of View- I think the book is very good it really makes you suspicious and wonder about who it is setting the fires and what is going to happen to Lucy.

5. Conflicts • Lucy has 2 strikes, and has only 1 more strike before she is sent to Eat-Their-Young Island. • Cars mysteriously catching fire. • The Kindle Home threatened to be shut down due to the car fires.

6. Main Characters Lucy- -Indirect Characterization -Brave; because she is willing to risk getting caught to go out and catch the criminal who is setting the cars on fire. -Caring; because she is so determined to save the Kindle Home, and cares a lot for Nate. -Direct -Mean Looking, Bad Attitude, Black hair and piercings

7. -Leon -Indirect Characterization -Caring; because he tries his best and does what he can to try and keep Lucy from being sent to Eat-Their-Young Island. -Persuasive; he is always pushing Lucy to be better at what she does, and he is always there for her. -Direct Characterization -He is in his mid 30’s, stayed in the Kindle Home, after being in foster care as a teen there.

8. Nate- -Indirect Characterization - A Dynamic Character; at first, in the beginning he hates Lucy because she is a “groupie” but towards the middle/end of the novel he begins to like her a lot more. -Caring; because he is willing to get caught with Lucy as they both try to capture the criminal that’s lighting cars on fire. -Direct -Popular; Good Looking; Perfect Athlete and Rich Kid

9. Literary Device • Symbolism- The Last Chance Texaco (The Kindle Home) • It symbolizes the last chance for the kids for survival without parents and it gives them hope for a better future.

10. Likes (positives) • Lucy’s bravery • Nate’s willingness to help Lucy • Nate talked to Lucy in front of his friends and wasn’t embarrassed. • At the end of the book Leon and the owners of the Kindle Home adopt Lucy and bring her to live with them. • Like how Nate changes his opinion about Lucy.

11. Dislikes (Negatives) • Joy put pills and other drugs in Lucy’s room to get her in trouble so that she would get sent away. • The mysterious car fires • The neighbors blame the fires on the kids in the Kindle Home when they don’t know for a fact. • The Kindle Home shuts down • Yolanda

12. I Recommend this Book to… • Anybody who likes to read a problem solving and mystery but yet romance novel.

13. www.teenreads.com • www.Adoption.about.com • www.contemporary.about.com • www.brenthartinger.com • www.wikipedia.com