Caught in the Act

Fiction by Peter Moore
Reviewed by Victoria G.
Not in the NVHS collection as of this post


Ethan Lederer is not the perfect kid that his parents make him out to be. He's getting low grades in most of his classes and is faking his way through all the honors' courses. Lydia Krane then comes to the town of West Baring and no one knows what to think about her. They can't whether her accent is southern or British, she wears weird Goth clothing, and is always writing in green velvet diary. When Ethan and Lydia both land the lead roles in the play Ethan learns that Lydia understands him and is not all that weird beside her appearance. Ethan asks himself, "What's wrong with liking her?" Ethan found out that Lydia has more secrets than he himself keeps away from his parents. Where did she come from? Why did she leave? Whats wrong with her super-creepy brother? What does she keep in that diary of hers?

This book takes place in present-day time in a small town. Caught in the Act gives off a mildly creepy vibe that is somehow extremely realistic. Lydia Krane's manner freaks out just about anyone ranging from preteens to adults. Ethan doesn't know how to fix his relationship with parents and tell them the truth about his school problems. With other things factoring into this Ethan doesn't know where to turn and ends taking the wrong turn towards the end of a cliff.

This book is written somewhat as a play, with a list of all the characters in the beginning. Peter Moore does an amazing job developing this book and uses all different kind of ideas to complete each thought in the novel. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys being just a little bit freaked out.