Running Loose

Even as he wrote his first novel, RUNNING LOOSE, Chris Crutcher's passionate voice was clear and distinct. All teenagers, including those who seem to have it made, eventually face emotional and/or physical challenges. Once faced with tough choices, most kids seek out truth and humor to safely guide them. And most are forever changed by the events that rock their adolescent worlds.

Take 17-year-old Louie Banks, for example. As the protagonist of ...