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The Traz: School Edition Paperback – April 5, 2012

by Eileen Schuh (Author)

4.3 42 ratings

Book 1 of 4: BackTracker

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One girl, one undercover cop, one dangerous gang... Thirteen-year-old Katrina is desperate for an adventure, something to numb her pain and loneliness. When Shrug, a giant biker from The Traz gang, asks if she wants a ride, she makes a reckless, life-changing decision.

Vulnerable and grieving, Katrina becomes a target for the gang's abuse--and there's no way to escape. Until she meets Chad, an undercover cop with rich brown eyes, a gentle chuckle and a plan to rescue her.

Only one problem. Someone is keeping dangerous secrets from them both.

*This special School Edition comes with a teacher/student discussion guide at the back to encourage students and teachers to have open discussions about the choices teens make. It explores issues such as gangs, drugs, weapons and so much more.

REVIEWS:

"A compelling read that will keep you turning pages." --The Kindle Book Review

"An intriguing read...exciting." --Amber Hayward, author of the Children of the Panther trilogy

"I finished "The Traz" and absolutely LOVED it." --Jim Brown, international novelist

"Fast paced action and realistic dialogue reveals the underlying message about the dangers of alcohol, drugs and gangs." --Aaron A. Lehman, author of the Mystery on Dog Island trilogy

"A fast-paced story...a thought-provoking venture into modern-day lifestyles and morals." --Donna Carrick , author of The First Excellence

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eileen Schuh is the author of two works to date: SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT--a sci-fi novella published by WolfSinger Publications in ebook and print formats, and THE TRAZ, the first book in the BackTracker series, published by Imajin Books in ebook edition.

Eileen lives with her husband in the remote northern boreal forests of Alberta, Canada. Drawing inspiration from the wilderness, she creates entire universes populated with fascinating characters doing intriguing things.

Eileen recently retired from a life of careers that varied from nurse to journalist to editor to business woman. She remains active in her adopted community of St. Paul and basks in the love and loyalty of an entire flotilla of family, friends and fans--virtual, imaginary and real ones.

http://www.eileenschuh.com

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Imajin Books (April 5, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 148 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1926997611
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1926997612
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.32 x 9.02 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.3 42 ratings

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Eileen Schuh

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Canadian author, Eileen Schuh, is known for her thrilling elements of crime, sensitive treatment of social issues, and emotional exposure of the human psyche.

Schuh's most recent ebook release is the SciFi trilogy, Project W.Olf, with Book One being released just in time for Hallowe'en 2020. The rest of the series can be pre-ordered and will arrive over the next few weeks. Watch for the paperback edition, a combination of all three novellas in time for Christmas!

Between the Sun and the Rainbow is Schuh's first attempt at a novel for the younger set. Written as a tribute to her ancestors and a link to her grandchildren, this adventure is very loosely based on her own sparse childhood growing up on a farm and is suitable for children from Grades Two to Six.

The crime thriller, OPERATION MAXTRACKER, Book 4 is the latest in her popular BackTracker series.

It followed the release in 2017 of the second edition of The Traz (Book 1) with a spanking new cover, some edits, and a few pages of new material as well as a revamped FATAL ERROR (Book 2).

The first three novels in her gritty BackTracker crime series are THE TRAZ Book1, FATAL ERROR Book 2 and FIREWALLS Book 3. She is also the proud author of two other adult SciFi novellas, SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT and DISPASSIONATE LIES as well as the adult crime thriller, SHADOW RIDERS.

She is both traditionally- and self-published.

Schuh is honoured to have been invited to present her BackTracker novels as teaching tools to at-risk adolescents in venues such as the North Slave Young Offenders Facility and the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre. THE TRAZ includes a list of international resources to help those facing tough times. In addition, the School Edition includes a Teaching/Discussion Guide to encourage youngsters and the adults in their lives to explore social issues such as gangs, depression, decision-making, dealing with consequences, and developing a sense of justice. This guide, along with one for FATAL ERROR, are also available in downloadable pdf format from her website Reader's Discussion Guides

Born and raised as Eileen Fairbrother in Tofield, Alberta Canada and with ties to Edmonton and Strathcona County, Schuh now lives with her husband near St. Paul in Alberta's northern boreal forests.

Schuh recently retired from a life of careers that varied from psychiatric nurse to journalist to editor to business woman. She remains active in her adopted community of St. Paul and is surrounded by the love and loyalty of family, friends and fans—virtual, imaginary, and real.

Schuh's children and grandchildren are her inspiration.

She invites you to visit her online:

Blog: http://eileenschuh.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.eileenschuh.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EileenSchuhAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/eileenschuh

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nightreader

Exciting, powerful, and tragic 1st in series, young adult book for all ages

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2012

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Written for older children, tweens and teens to help those in trouble or give options how to avoid trouble in these often emotionally and physically cruel years. Author Eileen Schuh has written this version as a school edition. There is also a regular edition. Every parent should read this book and perhaps even discuss it with their kids. This story is full of the pitfalls that multiply as teens get older, become more street smart and more in need of security and love. Some strong language as can be expected, the language of young people caught up in street life of which drugs and gangs play a large part.

Katrina is very small for her age, and extremely intelligent, actually Mensa certified, a genius at the age of 12. These two points are the root of bullying Katrina, causing her to leave school at this age. An alcoholic mother and a father who is too involved do not help ease the pain and loneliness. Very dark and frightening, how could such an intelligent, sunny little girl get dragged in to this vortex of the dark side? A lesson for all in the early part of the book. As Katrina, or Sarina as she prefers to be called in the world she has entered, loses all the usual types of security, she becomes involved with a motorcycle gang, the Traz, when she accepts a bike ride from a very interesting biker. Who is this man vying for control of the gang? Why is he so protective of Sarina?

This is a very interesting book from a lot of points of view. Not all dark, there are many characters running the gamut from gentle and caring to pure evil. Traumatized after witnessing an event she can't remember, Katrina/Sarina's story will continue. Excellent characterizations, dialogue, interaction, descriptive settings, the storyline setting up for a series, Eileen Schuh's writing is compelling and encompassing. Although occasionally I got a slight feeling of disbelief, I also felt this was intentional, a necessity to the plot. I have a feeling there will be a lot brought to light in the future. I am looking forward to reading the second in this very different and exciting series.

2 people found this helpful

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Heidi Rolland

4.5 Stars for The Traz

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2014

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The motorcycle on the cover first attracted me to this book, and I added it to my endless list of `To Reads'. The Canadian author liked my fan page on Facebook and piqued my curiosity once again. The fact she is a Canadian author, as am I is an added bonus. I found the Amazon listing and read the reviews before purchasing a copy.
Ms Schuh draws you into the story from the 1st chapter to the last. I read the entire book in one sitting. The characters are as diverse as they are interesting. Katrina's words/actions at 12 yrs old made me a little uncomfortable. It wasn't until I finished the book, I realized every situation and thought process was integral to her characters' growth.
That being said, and coming from my life experience as a member of the motorcycle community, I found her presence at The Traz camp a little far-fetched. I understand this is a work of fiction, and to the average reader, believable. To bring a young child into `the fold' would elicit a much different response in the real world.
The Traz is well-written, the characters intriguing and the story line captivating until the end. My only criticism is the ending leaves too many unanswered questions. Yes, I know it is Book One of a series, and the goal is to leave the reader wanting more. I think a glimpse of the reactions from Gator and other club members would have gone a long way in evoking a sense of urgency to buy Book Two, Fatal Error.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Traz and give it 4.5 stars. Well done, Eileen Schuh. I look forward to reading Book Two.

One person found this helpful

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K. A. Woods

Am I the only one who found this implausible?

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2012

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First off, this is not a terrible book. Reading went quickly and there was plenty of stuff happening. It just seemed to demand that you accept far-fetched premises in order to progress through the story. I felt most of the time the main character, Katrina, acted TOO adult, even considering her genius level intelligence. In a few instances, she displays a naivety more believable from a teenager, which seemed to do more justice to a character with her particular past experiences.

There are some characters who are dispensed with conveniently in order to move the plot along, and I kept thinking, wow, how coincidental. Then you have a young teen who is approached by a stranger who seems to know things about her but is not forthcoming with details, yet she never questions it and instead decides it would be a good plan to take off with this biker guy and live with him and his gang.

I did think Katrina's struggle to deal with her grief and the trauma of things she witnessed in the company of the biker gang was well crafted and believable. However, the character of Shrug, another key player in the book, did not convince me in his role. He was not a very good actor, and the fact that he pulls it off seems only because that's the way it was written. The character Chad was another one that I couldn't believe was pulling off his role in the book, bumbling as he seemed.

If you suspend disbelief, there is enjoyment in this novel as a quick entertaining read. It does have an abrupt ending, though, and leads to sequels, so be prepared to buy a couple more books if you really want to know what happened.

3 people found this helpful

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Pauline

A Great Read

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2011

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The Traz tackles the evil side of gangs, in the book it is a motorbike gang, The Traz. The Traz is the first book in a series and in this book the reader is introduced to a young and very unhappy 13 year old girl who finds herself caught up in this violent world. She is a surviver, but nothing is quite what it seems as she eventually finds out. The book ends with the reader wanting more. The perfect end for Schuh as there are more books to follow. I throughly enjoyed The Traz and look forward to more in this series

6 people found this helpful

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Lady Rochford

What is a 'family'?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2013

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There are some interesting lessons to be learned from this book and I agree with some of the other reviewers that it could be used to educate vulnerable youngsters about the perils of belonging to a gang. On the one hand they are offered security and a kind of skewed friendship but the darker, seamier side of gang life would be hard for any youngster to deal with. Katrina, the heroine, is such a youngster - even if her IQ if off the scale, and she has skills other gang members don't possess. Skills that make her valuable to the gang. Orphaned and alone she is introduced to the gang THE TRAZ via gang member SHRUG and we fear for her well being for this is no Disney High-School-the- Musical read. Stir an undercover cop into the mix and we have to keep turning the pages to find out how it will all end. Looking forward to reading the sequel. Will be checking out Ms Schuh's other novels, too.

One person found this helpful

Reading Queen

The Traz - where nothing is as it seems

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2012

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I have to say this book is unlike anything I've read before. Katrina (or Sarina as she calls herself when she joins the Traz) is a real chameleon. A thirteen year old going on twenty five, she is gifted, strong-willed, savvy and quite manipulative at times, yet there are moments when we get to see the child she really is. We start her journey at home with a policeman father and a mother whose drink problem will change Katrina's life for ever. When this happens she eventually drifts towards the tough world of a biker gang where drug dealing and killing are the norm. Shrug becomes her protector, but is he really all he seems? And then there is the younger, good-looking Chad. There is a definite connection here which doesn't quite happen (probably because he is aware of her age) and makes me wonder what is in store for them both in the next book. The whole thing ends on a knife edge and I can't wait to read the next instalment of the Backpacker Series. Thank you Eileen, after reading The Traz I came away wanting more!

2 people found this helpful

Book reviews

More to it than meets the eye

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2011

I enjoyed reading The Traz, although initially I was a little uncomfortable with how young Katrina was but maybe that's because I'm a parent myself and was looking at it from an adult point of view, rather than that of someone who could more closely relate to Katrina in age. That doesn't mean, however, that adults won't enjoy or even benefit from reading The Traz as much as the YA audience. Through the story line, it addresses some interesting social issues, bringing to life some ambiguous and complex characters with realistic dialogue.

The plot is intriguing with some twists and surprises along the way and although it reaches a conclusion, I wasn't quite ready for it. However, the door has been firmly left open for more novels in the series and it will be interesting to see the characters develop further. I definitely want to know more about them and what happened next.

One person found this helpful

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