Cute Eats Cute by C.B. Murphy

Sam is a teenager having more than ordinary problems.  His dad is a DNR agent.  His mother is a free spirit member of Wicca.  His girlfriend and best friends want to save the world.  When the DNR decides the deer population in the local park is overrun, everyone has different opinions of how it should be handled, each wanting Sam to side with them. 

This was actually a much better story than I'd expected.  Though it deals with the difficult issue of whether or not animals should ever be killed, it's done so in a dramatic and 'close to home' way rather than politically.  All sides are presented equally.  I couldn't figure out which side I was on, and I have no idea how poor Sam could either.  Each character is passionate about their position and willing to go to great lengths to do what they believe is right. 

What really impressed me with this story is the way that C.B. was able to pull off the teenager mindset.  Yes, I know he was once one himself, but it's really hard to put yourself back in that position, and that's not even taking into account how much teenagers have changed since I was one.  They are more socially conscious now.  It's almost like the hippie generation skipped my generation and moved right on to the next one.  Yes, that's an overgeneralization, but it's my opinion and I'm holding onto it for now.  The point is that it amazes me how well C.B. was able to put himself in their mindset and extract what each was thinking.  Not only that, but the dialogue is incredibly well written for teens.  It's not 'dumbed down' or talking down or full of that slang that most of us old people believe young people use. 

This was a great story and a good read.  It calls upon you, as the reader, to put the story in perspective as it pertains to your own life.  What do you believe?  It challenges you to go on your own spirit quest and discover a little more about yourself, while at the same time being allowed to sympathize with a poor teenage kid being ripped apart.