Richie Tankersley Cusick - April Fools

I was reading the Babysitters' blog for this entry at:

http://rsvpordie.blogspot.com/search/label/April%20Fools

(go visit her blog - she writes really well!)

and I think she has summed this book up pretty well. Although I wouldn't go so far as to call it shit! A very typical Point Horror in many ways and with some interesting morals and logic.

The whole story starts with Belinda, Frank and Hildy all out in a car, travelling back from an April Fools party. As Babysitter comments, do people actually have April Fools parties? Frank is driving after having a few drinks and as well as drink driving, I presume he is also underage for buying, possession and consumption of alcohol. Christ, how many offences is this? And we're not out the first chapter!

Whilst driving along, a car behind starts tailgating them in an aggressive manner and Frank decides to have a laugh with them, by driving erratically. It is April Fools after all! The joke ends with the other car skidding off the road, down a gorge and bursting in flames with someone trapped inside. Whoops-a-daisy. In the words of a Harry Enfield character: I don't believe you wanted to do that!

Now, is it me, or is it a) silly to piss arse about on the road anyway? b) doubly silly if you are drunk and c) triply silly when you are on a little used road out near the airport with a ruddy great big gorge to the side?

I started off not really liking Frank at all as you can probably tell.

My feelings to these three didn't get any better where Hildy was concerned. Hildy was all for covering up the whole incident because they might go to prison. Oh and she was supposed to be grounded and her parents would be really mad at her. I'll say. Can't see the parental units being totally cool about this little escapade.

To our Hildy, it's totally logical that they left the scene and didn't get any help and Belinda is wrong to be upset about it all. Hildy's attitude is one of “Yeah we pushed them off the road, but it was only a joke. We didn't mean to kill them. So you know, it's all okay”. Actually, given these kids are probably looking at a case of vehicular manslaughter, I can kind of see why Hildy wants to keep it covered up. I think it's just her logic of – we were only having a laugh therefore it's okay, that's getting me big time. To my mind, this girl is a potential psychopath...

Introducing Adam Thorne, who is the scary character in the story. As if a teenage girl with plaited pig tails who thinks driving someone off the road for a laugh is totally acceptable isn't scary enough!

Without going too much into the story, I had to crack a grin here! The coincidence was a bit too much. Adam is badly disfigured due to being in a car accident right around the time Belinda and co stuffed someone off the side of the road. Come on, this is kind of laughable! We're all brighter than Belinda because we KNOW Adam was somehow involved and Belinda's all ifs and buts and maybes and Hildy is still doing the “it's not our fault, stop being crazy!” routine.

I'm still having trouble with Hildy! I think Hildy and Frank are quite well matched. Neither seem to take any responsibility for their actions or think Belinda's response is reasonable. Yeah, I know we killed at least one guy, but hey, let's not be all daggy about it.

The other character that did make me laugh was Cobbs. Oh, and the impression of the English. Belinda knows he's English because he's all stiff and formal. And Noel (Adam's step brother) thinks his way of ringing the doorbell before entering is so weird! Apparently, this is one way Cobbs has funny ideas. As Babysitter in her blog perfectly puts it, pardon me little Miss USA for having manners! I keep having images of either Jeffrey out of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” or Socket from “Carry On Screaming” with a dose of Lurch out of “The Addams Family”.

Although Noel is the initial and obvious love interest in this story, eventually Cobbs does fill the role. Noel appears to be out to protect Belinda from the evil disfigured Adam Thorne, but a twist in the story reveals the contrary. (You'll have to read it to find out how!) Cobbs offers his services to Belinda's family for free at the end of the story, which is laughable. If you were left a significant sum, would you still be working? Granted Cobbs is at a loose end, but by golly gosh! With a fistful of dollars like that, I'd sure find some trivial whimsy to keep myself occupied!

I find myself wondering if Cobbs isn't actually seeing himself as some kind of pseudo father figure to Belinda. Maybe I've missed it, but there's no reference to a Mr Swanson, only Mrs Swanson, Belinda's mum.

He did save Belinda so it probably would be natural for him to feel some extra concern for her. Does he love her though? After all, she probably has been the only person to speak to him as a person as opposed to an employee. Even though Noel isn't formal with him, there is still that employer divide and one that would never be crossed.

At the end, Cobbs does say “and I you miss” in response to Belinda saying “I love you”. Does he mean it or is it a suitably butler-y polite response? Is this a real love as in romantic love or a deep friendship love? It's an interesting thought and I'm not sure you can resolve it either way.

When you consider Cobbs' description: receding white hair line, angular face, over 6 feet tall, corpse like pale and very thin, he doesn't seem like the usual love interest. That's an understatement really isn't it?! Nor an ethical love interest to some as Cobbs must be at least 30 years older than Belinda.

I can almost feel some kind of fanfic coming out of this, this is such an unanswered question! Cobbs 4 Belinda 4eva?

The other unresolved issue I can see is: if Adam and Noel are declared fit to stand trial, how will this affect Belinda et al? Even though Adam and Noel were trying to crash the car ultimately, Frank made them crash through his reckless driving. This to me, would take precedence over Adam and Noel's intentions. Unless it's Hildy's court and there's a verdict of “Well, it's okay 'cause they were trying to crash anyway”. Kind of like saying if you murder a man but as long as he was going to top himself the next day anyway, it's all ticketyboo and above board. I don't think it kinda works like that!

So, if Noel and Adam can't stand trial, maybe the kids will get away with it. If I was those kids, particularly Frank, I'd be hoping and praying that this never comes to trial! I don't know what forensics were like in the USA in the early 1990s, but I bet they could probably deduce something out of the way the car landed or skid marks or something.

There we have it. “April Fools” by Richie Tankersley Cusick. Not an easy review to write without doing a blow by blow account which I want to try and avoid.

I did enjoy reading the book, even if for the interesting morals, but it's not one of Point Horror's best, nor one of the worst. What will be the worst though? Once I get to the end of every Point Horror, I shall maybe answer that question! And the counter question: what is the best Point Horror? This is just standard Point Horror more than anything and doesn't stand up to scrutiny for its' legal plot holes and weaknessess and logic from the lead characters. Y

And I think that concludes my first review of a Richie Tankersley Cusick. I don't dread reading another one, but I don't think I'd be champing at the bit to read another.

See you at the next review!