Is teaching vocabulary a challenge in your homeschool? Does your student ask about the relevancy of the words? Despite its unusual name, I.M. for MURDER may be part of the solution. The second in the VocabCafé series of books, I.M. for MURDER incorporates 300 higher-level vocabulary words into its teen-focused storyline.

Nearly all pages of the novel have at least one bolded, italicized vocabulary word, and most have more than one. Listed at the bottom of the page, in footnote style, are the word's part of speech, pronunciation, and definition. Each chapter's vocabulary words are listed alphabetically at the end of the chapter for easy review. In the book's introduction, the VocabCafé team mentions flash cards that are available for purchase to help reinforce the words learned in the book. Unfortunately, the website makes no mention of the cards. I.M. for MURDER is intended for teens, particularly at the high school level. It could be used as part of a language arts class or for summer reading with a purpose.

In the story, Will Johnson is a typical 16-year old boy with a job, homework, and an upcoming tennis match. He and his two best friends enjoy spending time together, but sometimes their activities--specifically, their shenanigans--get out of hand. They find themselves in danger as one of their Internet pranks involves a serial killer who is now tracking them.

Pros: I really like the idea of making vocabulary relevant. I also appreciate the definitions on the same page and the list of words to review at the end of each chapter. That would certainly be helpful in a classroom setting.

Cons: As far as the story goes, I didn't really like the plot. The choices made by all of the characters, parents and youth alike, were disappointing, especially considering the book's dedication to "my friend and Savior, Jesus Christ." The idea of a serial killer being defeated so easily was disturbing and unrealistic. The vocabulary words were rarely ones that I would use in conversation, and I consider myself to be above average in my word choices.

I did let my middle school son read it, and he liked it a little. He enjoyed the action. However, I used the novel as a way to discuss better choices that would be pleasing to God.