Susan McConnell was just another schoolgirl, dreams of living life big and growing up to be successful. Her life was going in the right direction when one day, she was asked to help carry out a plan that would change her life for the worse. An athletic senior, Mark Kinney had his plan set in place. He had everything that he needed except for a distraction, and he knew an innocent girl like Susan would fit the part. The plan was to kidnap their English teacher, Mr. Griffin, who Mark disliked because of the rigorous tasks he had to complete in order to pass and graduate. Can a kidnapping planned by a group of kids possibly be safe? Will it be a matter of life or death? Killing Mr. Griffin, the mysterious book by Lois Duncan, reveals the answer.

Mark Kinney, the maker of the plan, had always been a little weird. His friend Jeff had said when they were younger; Mark had set cats on fire. Mark had a sick mind, and his conscience didn’t stop his absurd actions. His dark, grey eyes were mysterious, just as his personality was. Susan was a kind-hearted girl, who tried hard in school and was successful, but she didn’t have many friends. She was sucked into the plan, trying to fit in and be cool. When they kidnapped Mr. Griffin and brought him way up into the mountains, Susan started to feel guilty.

What the students didn’t know was Mr. Griffin had a serious health problem. He needed to take pills in order to keep a steady heart beat and to breathe normally. With his hands tied behind his back and duct tape over his lips, Mr. G couldn’t do anything to save himself. Seeing Mr. Griffin suffer made Susan think twice about what she had done, and she started to feel like it was all her fault. The guilt starts when you don’t exactly know what you’re getting into, but you do one small thing that contributes. As the plan starts to reveal itself, you realize what you did, and everything feels like your fault.

The author, Lois Duncan has written 48 other books ranging from picture books to adult novels. She has been writing for most of her life in order to create many books that sell well, such as this one. She has published many horror books. This book was published by Dell Publishers, and can be bought for $5.99. This realistic fiction unfolds a mysterious story throughout 222 pages.

I think the book Killing Mr. Griffin was an enjoyable read. Just when you thought the excitement was over, something else happened. You can most likely buy this book at bookstores or order it online. I would recommend this book to kids my age, middleschoolers to highschoolers, because the content is appropriate for the age group. If you are looking for a book with many unexpected twists and turns, this book will keep you entertained until the last page.