The Judas Ride was written for Teens. It's an extremely "edgy" book that sometimes goes into details which would be better left to the imagination, especially for younger teens.

Although Peggy Sue Yarber still "explains" and doesn't "show" her characters, she has improved a lot since her earlier book, Tare. However, this continual explanation of why and what her characters are doing takes a lot away from the imagination reader. It also tends to "dumb down" your audience. Not to mention it makes the bookharder to read!

It's a good story, but the execution makes it almost unreadable for teens. It's hard to follow, sometimes violently graphic, and full of characters who are not commendable for most of the book. Although it has a redemptive undercurrent, I wish Peggy Sue Yarber had made it an essential part of the plot.
I give it three stars, as with a little bit more polish this had the potential of a great YA novel.