Booklist (Starred review) May 1999
When 17-year-old Casey Willardson agrees to tutor Thomas Fairbairn, family and friends think she's crazy--and in danger. After all, Thomas is a member of the Clan, the enigmatic group of young men that keeps its distance from outsiders, even in school. But as Casey and Thomas get to know each other, labels and preconceptions fall away, resulting in a deep understanding of shared human experiences and emotions, and ultimately a rewarding love that challenges both teens' long-held beliefs.
This modern, insightful Romeo and Juliet story is a rare and notable contribution to the teen fiction genre. The alternating points of view and Randle's taut, poetic prose provide remarkable character depth and complexity. Thomas, in particular, is a fascinating character, whose conversations embody the joy of learning and incorporate the works of classic philosophers and writers in ways that may show readers the relevance and rewards of learning the masters

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Gritty, smart, and realistic, the novel perceptively explores issues of religion, sex and sexual abstinence, peer pressure, and integrity with grace and compassion. Despite some religious overtones, there is no preaching here, only a well-communicated respect for making comfortable personal life choices, and allowing others the opportunity to do the same. A story of morality without judgment, this will encourage teens to look beyond appearances and deep within their own hearts.
--Shelle Rosenfeld
 

Horn Book
March/April 1999
In Randle's intriguing coming-of-age novel, the Clan, a nonconformist group of young, male "social iconoclasts," stands apart, "like an odd, fervent religion," and few people in seventeen-year-old Casey's town willingly interact with its silent, stony-faced members. The uneasy social balance that has existed in the community is thrown off when Clan member Thomas, a.k.a. Baby, is placed in the honors program at school, and Casey agrees to tutor him and help smooth his transition to the mainstream. Cautiously they forge a "working relationship" in spite of their differences and strong disapproval from the Clan (who lock down upon the traditional educational system and on fraternization with outsiders) and from Casey's peers and family (who worry about her safety). Telling the story from both Baby's and Casey's point of view, Randle draws us in through her realistic portrayal of the pressures the two feel from within and without, as well as the attraction they begin to feel toward each other. The plot occasionally bogs down in details, but these two likable, well-developed characters and the dangerous conflict that surrounds them will keep readers engaged. This is a sensitively told story that resonates with loss and , in the end, hope.
--Kitty Flynn
 
School Library Journal
May 1999
...Reminiscent of The Outsiders and West Side Story, Randle's novel is compelling reading...realistically detailed...powerful writing and a suspenseful, action-driven story will grab teen readers.

Kirkus
April 1999
In a Romeo and juliet story with a new twist and a happier ending, Randle compassionately explores the duel feelings of exhilaration and anguish that come from disassociating one's self from an all-encompassing, powerful peer group.
...Randle has written an enthralling story that leaves readers with much to contemplate.
 
Publishers Weekly
May 17, 1999
For 12 years, the black clad members of "the Clan" have slunk through school, driving teachers crazy by calmly refusing to work or to speak to anyone. But one day Thomas, aka "Baby" to his Clan fellows, clandestinely takes a placement test and is identified as gifted. Over her parents' objections, Casey, a good student friendly with the jock/cheerleader set, responds to the guidance counselor's request for her help and becomes Baby's after-school tutor. At first deeply mistrustful of each other, Baby and Casey gradually find a common bond and, unsurprisingly, a powerful mutual attraction. Their relationship sets in motion a chain of events that causes each of them to reexamine who they are, where they stand in their social milieus and how they will respond to their peers' expectations. The characterizations and group dynamics are compelling, the romance believable and the plot gripping as events come to a violent crescendo. Randle (The Only Alien on the Planet) is adept at conveying ingrained prejudices as well as the frustration and alienation that lead some youths to forsake the "straight" world for a more friendly and accepting one of their own making. A vivid, resonant contemporary tale.