Paranoid Park

Categories: Entertainment , Movies & Books , Staff Picks , Fiction

A suburban teen skater is haunted by the gruesome death of a security guard in Blake Nelson's tense little novel, Paranoid Park.  Marketed to teen readers, the book has just as much appeal for adults, and has recently been made into a film by director Gus Van Sant.  The film debuted at Cannes film festival in 2007, and is scheduled for limited release in the United States in March 2008. 

The story takes place in a downtown skate park in Portland.  The narrator hesitates to get involved with a street kid who tries to befriend him, and when a dare goes wrong, the narrator's life changes forever. You can't help but be drawn in by the guilt-ridden complexity of this teen's situation.  Recommended for skaters and non-skaters alike.