Cormier has often been criticized for being too blunt about the themes he depicts in his books. Some of his works have been censored in various school districts across the United States either for reasons of their subject matter or language or because they are not "optimistic." His books are nonetheless very popular among teen-age readers because they deal with questions which are relevant for their lives and help them to get a better understanding of their own problems.

In this novel the author addresses subject matters which many students might not have come across in their reading before: the major issues raised concern vandalism and violence toward people and their property. In connection with these issues he also discusses questions of attempted rape and alcoholism among teen-agers, as well as murder and kidnapping. In the case of Jane and Buddy he portrays a romance which...