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It's the day he's supposed to die.
Everyone seems resigned to it—even Pepper, although he would much prefer to live. But can you sidestep Fate? Jump sideways into a different life? Naïve and trusting, Pepper sets a course through dangerous waters, inviting disaster and mayhem at every turn, one eye on the sky for fear of angels, one on the magnificent possibilities of being alive.
New York Times bestselling and Printz Award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean has created a gripping tale filled with dark humor and daring escapades, where the key to a boy's life lies in facing his own death.
Join him on the run—if you can keep up.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
July 27, 2010 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780307712127
- File size: 193821 KB
- Duration: 06:43:47
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 920
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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Pepper Roux has always been told that he's destined to die at age 14. So when 14 arrives, Pepper runs--first to sea and then across France, changing his identity and dodging the saints and angels he's certain are after him. Geraldine McCaughrean's clever and intricate wordsmithing requires a narrator who can riff and play and bring out every bit of nuance and meaning. It's hard to imagine a narrator being more attuned to the text than Anton Lesser is--he fully embodies Pepper and the myriad other characters he encounters. Lesser's and McCaughrean's considerable talents combine to create an even greater whole, and listeners are whisked along, breathless and marveling, on Pepper's grand adventure. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from December 7, 2009
Kindhearted Pepper Roux has been led to believe that “hildhood was a mouse trap from which he could never expect to escape,” his death by age 14 foretold in a dream. His maiden Aunt Mireille takes it upon herself to pave Pepper's path to heaven with daily prayer, constant confession, and rote memorization of last rites. So when Pepper awakens on his 14th birthday still alive, he launches himself on a sea voyage, intent on outrunning death. Mistaken for the ship's captain (his father), he is befriended by a compassionate, cross-dressing steward, Duchesse. Creating vivid characters is just one of McCaughrean's (The White Darkness
) gifts—Aunt Mireille joins Dahl's Spiker and Sponge as one of the Most Evil Aunts in children's literature. Pepper flees across the French countryside from one disastrous job to another—delivery boy, horse wrangler, deli clerk, and even journalist, which allows McCaughrean to wink at readers as Pepper complains, “Copy editors cannot read anything without changing it.” As his journey ends in a cleverly orchestrated climax, readers will root for Pepper to get the ending he deserves—a happy one. Ages 10–up.
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