Reality Check by Peter Abrahams

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams is about 16 year old Cody, the star quarter back of the Little Bend, Colorado football team. Things seem perfect - summer is starting, he's got a great job, a great girlfriend, an excellent chance of making a college football team (if he can get his grades up), until Clea's dad sends her to Hong Kong for the summer. When she returns, they are both so happy, until Cody finds out Clea will be attending a fancy prep school in Vermont that fall. Things keep falling apart for Cody - he breaks up with Clea before she goes, thinking it's what's best for them both, he suffers a knee injury during a football game, and he ends up dropping out of school. One afternoon he sees a breaking news story - a girl from a prep school in Vermont has gone missing... and, it's Clea. Not knowing what else to do, Cody leaves his dad a note and drives all the way to Vermont to help out with the search. Cody doesn't realize what he's getting himself into. It seems like finding Clea is hopeless... until Cody finds some clues that lead him closer to her, but also closer to danger.

This book was a good mystery once it got going. There was a lot of build up to Clea's disappearance, focusing on Cody's football playing. Also, there was a lot of swearing - some pretty serious language. I would recommend this book to older readers (high school) who want a good mystery.