“I'm not a criminal. I'm a November criminal. That's different.”
— Kevin explaining his unique self-perception and the book's title.
Archivist's Choice
The November Criminals
Sam Munson (2010)
Genre
Thriller / Mystery / Young Adult
Reading Time
258 min
Key Themes
See below
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Armed with a sharp wit, a drug-dealing side hustle, and an unrequited crush, a cynical high school senior turns his college application essay into an unfiltered, obsessive investigation into his classmate's murder.
Synopsis
Addison Schacht, a cynical and smart high school senior, is consumed by the murder of his classmate, Kevin Broadus. While juggling college applications, a casual drug dealing side-hustle, and a complex, undefined relationship with his best friend Digger, Addison investigates Kevin's death when the police investigation stalls. He narrates his amateur detective work, observations about the world, and personal philosophies through a college application essay for the University of Chicago, prompted by the question, "What are your best and worst qualities?" As Addison and Digger pursue leads, initially suspecting a local gang, their investigation uncovers deeper secrets about Kevin and the community, forcing Addison to confront uncomfortable truths about friendship, loyalty, and the adults around him. The narrative ends with Addison's discovery of the true killer and the motivations behind the murder, all while he crafts his brutally honest and often humorous application essay, revealing his journey of self-discovery and the complexities of his adolescent world.
Reading time
258 min
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Cynical, Witty, Observational, Darkly Humorous, Suspenseful
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy a unique narrative voice, a blend of dark humor and mystery, and a protagonist who is both intelligent and deeply flawed.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer traditional, straightforward mysteries or protagonists who are immediately likable and morally upright.
Plot Summary
The Application Essay and a Murder
Addison Schacht, a cynical and smart high school senior in Washington D.C., starts writing his University of Chicago application essay. The prompt asks: 'What are your best and worst qualities?' Instead of a typical response, Addison uses it to recount his senior year, particularly his investigation into the murder of his classmate, Kevin Broadus. Kevin was a popular, seemingly unremarkable student shot and killed outside a local convenience store. The police investigation quickly stalls, and the school community, including Addison, struggles to process the senseless violence. Addison, who sells drugs to many classmates, including Kevin, finds himself unexpectedly obsessed with finding the killer. He is driven by a mix of boredom, curiosity, and a strange sense of obligation.
Initial Suspicions and Digger's Involvement
Addison immediately recruits his best friend, Phoebe 'Digger' Schacht, into his impromptu detective work. Digger, a sharp and street-smart girl with whom Addison has a complex, non-romantic relationship (they are often mistaken for siblings or a couple, much to their mutual annoyance), initially dismisses his obsession but soon gets drawn in. Their first lead comes from a rumor circulating among students that the murder was a gang-related initiation. They focus on the 'November Criminals,' a local gang known for its petty crimes and intimidating presence. Addison believes that by understanding the gang's dynamics and recent activities, they might uncover a motive or a witness overlooked by the police. Digger, while skeptical of the gang theory, agrees to help Addison navigate D.C.'s tougher areas and gather information.
Following the Gang Lead
Addison and Digger start by subtly questioning students who might have connections to the November Criminals, particularly those who buy drugs from Addison. They learn about the gang's hangouts and some of its members. Addison, ever the strategist, plans to get closer to the gang's activities without directly confronting them. They visit a convenience store known to be a common gathering spot for gang members, hoping to overhear conversations or spot anything unusual. Their presence is met with suspicion, and they realize the danger involved in their amateur sleuthing. Digger expresses increasing concern about Addison's recklessness, but his determination to solve the case overrides her warnings. They continue to piece together fragmented rumors and observations.
The Complications of Friendship and Romance
Throughout their investigation, Addison's unique relationship with Digger is a constant undercurrent. They share a deep bond, intellectual sparring, and a comfort that borders on intimacy, yet they maintain a strict platonic boundary. Addison’s parents are oblivious to the true nature of their friendship, often assuming they are dating. Digger frequently challenges Addison's self-important pronouncements and provides a much-needed grounding force. However, as the investigation deepens and becomes more dangerous, the strain on their friendship becomes evident. Digger worries about Addison's safety and the potential consequences of their actions, while Addison is often too consumed by his own theories to fully acknowledge her concerns, leading to tension and arguments between them.
A New Theory Emerges
After several dead ends and increasing frustration with the lack of progress on the gang front, Addison starts to re-evaluate his initial assumptions. He revisits his interactions with Kevin, particularly their drug transactions, and other seemingly innocuous details. He begins to suspect that Kevin's murder might not have been a random act of violence or a gang initiation, but something more personal. He considers the possibility that Kevin was involved in something more serious than he let on, or that he had an enemy within his own social circle. This shift in focus marks a turning point in Addison's investigation, moving it away from external threats and towards the internal dynamics of their high school world, a place Addison understands intimately.
Uncovering Kevin's Secrets
Addison and Digger start looking into Kevin's personal life more closely. They talk to his friends, his girlfriend, and even his parents, under the guise of offering condolences. They discover that Kevin, despite his popular and seemingly straightforward facade, had a hidden life. He was involved in a relationship that was more complicated than anyone knew, and he had been struggling with some personal issues. Addison begins to connect these new pieces of information, realizing that Kevin's death might be linked to a secret he was keeping. Digger helps Addison sift through the gossip and half-truths, using her keen observational skills to discern what is relevant. They uncover details about a secret relationship Kevin was having, which complicates the narrative of his innocent victimhood.
The Confrontation and Revelation
Addison, armed with his deductions and the information Digger helped him gather, identifies a likely suspect: Kevin's secret girlfriend, whom he had been seeing behind his main girlfriend's back. He confronts her, not directly accusing her, but laying out the facts and his theory about what happened. The pressure of Addison's relentless questioning and her guilt lead to a confession. It is revealed that Kevin's death was not a gang-related hit but a crime of passion, an accidental shooting during a heated argument with his secret girlfriend, who felt betrayed and cornered. The gun, it turns out, belonged to her father, and the whole situation was a tragic, impulsive act fueled by emotional turmoil, not premeditated violence.
Aftermath and Reflection
The revelation of Kevin's true killer and the circumstances surrounding his death are anticlimactic for Addison, yet deeply impactful. The 'November Criminals' theory was a red herring, and the truth is far more mundane and tragic than he had imagined. Addison grapples with the implications of this discovery, realizing that justice is often messy and unsatisfying. He reflects on his own obsession, his methods, and the moral ambiguities of his actions. The experience forces him to confront his own cynicism and the limits of his intellectual detachment. Digger, who was instrumental in his investigation, helps him process the emotional fallout, further solidifying their unique bond.
The Application Essay's Conclusion
Addison concludes his University of Chicago application essay, having used the prompt to tell the entire story of Kevin's murder and his investigation. He reflects on his 'best and worst qualities,' acknowledging his intellectual arrogance and his manipulative tendencies, but also his genuine curiosity and a strange, almost altruistic drive to uncover the truth. He doesn't offer a neat resolution or a simplified moral, but rather a complex, nuanced understanding of himself and the world around him. The essay is a testament to his unique perspective, his growth, and his refusal to conform to conventional expectations, showing his potential as a critical thinker even if his methods are unorthodox. He ultimately finds a sense of closure, not in a perfect resolution, but in the honest recounting of his journey.
The Future
With the essay submitted and the truth about Kevin's murder revealed, Addison looks towards his future. He acknowledges the uncertainty that lies ahead but also a sense of readiness. His experience has matured him in unexpected ways, forcing him to engage with the real world beyond his intellectual bubble. His bond with Digger remains strong, a constant in his ever-shifting life. While the murder investigation is over, the lessons learned and the transformation Addison underwent will undoubtedly shape his next steps. He remains the cynical, witty, and intelligent individual he always was, but with a deeper understanding of human nature and the complexities of life, preparing him for the challenges and opportunities of college and beyond.
Principal Figures
Addison Schacht
The Protagonist
Addison evolves from a detached, intellectually arrogant observer to someone who grapples with the messy realities of human emotion and injustice, gaining a more nuanced understanding of himself and the world.
Phoebe 'Digger' Schacht
The Supporting
Digger's arc primarily involves her deepening understanding and acceptance of Addison's unique personality, while also asserting her own boundaries and influence within their friendship.
Kevin Broadus
The Mentioned
Kevin's character is revealed posthumously, evolving from a simple victim to a figure with hidden complexities and secrets that ultimately led to his tragic end.
The Killer (unnamed in description)
The Antagonist
This character's arc is primarily revealed through Addison's investigation, transforming from an unknown perpetrator to a figure driven by emotional distress.
Addison's Parents
The Supporting
Their character arc is minimal, serving primarily as a backdrop against which Addison's independence is highlighted.
The November Criminals
The Mentioned
Their role shifts from primary suspects to a misdirection in the plot, highlighting the complexity of truth.
Themes & Insights
The Nature of Truth and Justice
The novel explores how truth is often messy, elusive, and far less sensational than imagined. Addison initially seeks a grand, intricate conspiracy, but the reality of Kevin's murder is a tragic, impulsive act driven by personal emotion. This theme challenges the notion of clear-cut justice, showing that outcomes can be unsatisfying and morally ambiguous. Addison's journey forces him to confront the limitations of his intellectual detachment when faced with the raw, human element of crime, as he pieces together the mundane yet devastating truth about Kevin's secret relationship and its violent end.
““The truth, I found, was rarely elegant. It was usually a mess, like a drunk trying to tie his shoelaces.””
Adolescent Cynicism vs. Emerging Empathy
Addison begins the novel as a highly cynical and intellectually detached observer of the world, often using his wit and intelligence to distance himself from genuine emotion. His investigation into Kevin's murder starts as an intellectual exercise, a puzzle to solve. However, as he goes deeper into Kevin's life and the lives of those around him, he is subtly forced to confront the emotional realities and complexities of human relationships. This journey, particularly his interactions with Digger and the ultimate tragic truth of the murder, chips away at his cynicism, allowing for glimpses of empathy and a more nuanced understanding of human vulnerability, as he grapples with the impact of the murder on real people.
““I was a connoisseur of human weakness, a scholar of the absurd. But even I was surprised by the sheer, devastating banality of it all.””
The Complexity of Relationships
The novel deeply examines various forms of relationships, particularly the unique and complex bond between Addison and Digger. Their friendship defies easy categorization, being intensely close yet strictly platonic, filled with intellectual sparring and unwavering loyalty. The story also explores the hidden complexities of Kevin Broadus's romantic relationships, revealing a secret affair that ultimately leads to his death. These relationships highlight the facades people present to the world versus their hidden truths, and how miscommunication, betrayal, and intense emotions can have devastating consequences, proving that even seemingly simple connections can hide profound depths.
““Digger was my best friend, my confidante, my co-conspirator. She was also not my girlfriend, a fact that seemed to confuse everyone but us.””
The Search for Meaning in a Meaningless World
Addison, an intelligent and somewhat alienated teenager, grapples with finding meaning and purpose in a world he often perceives as absurd and superficial. Kevin's murder, initially a senseless act, becomes a focal point for Addison's need to impose order and understanding on chaos. His obsessive investigation is not just about solving a crime but about making sense of a world where random violence can shatter lives. Ultimately, the 'meaning' he finds is not a grand revelation but a deeper, albeit often bleak, understanding of human nature and the tragic consequences of ordinary lives, reflecting an existential search for significance.
““Maybe that was the point of it all: to find some kind of sense, however small, in the vast, indifferent machinery of the world.””
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
First-Person Narrative (Application Essay)
The entire story is framed as Addison's college application essay.
The novel is told entirely through Addison Schacht's college application essay for the University of Chicago. This device allows for a highly subjective, intimate, and unfiltered look into Addison's cynical mind, his intellectual prowess, and his unique voice. It justifies his detailed, often tangential observations and philosophical digressions, as he is ostensibly answering a personal essay prompt. This framing also adds a meta-narrative layer, as Addison is not just recounting events but actively shaping them for an audience, influencing how the reader perceives the 'truth' he presents.
Red Herring
The initial focus on the 'November Criminals' as suspects.
The 'November Criminals,' a local gang, serve as a significant red herring in the plot. Addison and Digger initially pursue the theory that Kevin's murder was a gang-related initiation or retaliation. This diverts their investigation and the reader's attention from the true, more personal motive behind the crime. The red herring effectively builds suspense and misdirection, making the ultimate revelation of the killer more surprising and underscoring the novel's theme that the truth is often less dramatic and more mundane than perceived.
Unreliable Narrator
Addison's subjective and often biased recounting of events.
While Addison is highly intelligent and observant, his narrative is filtered through his cynical, arrogant, and often self-serving perspective. He frequently offers his opinions and judgments as facts, and his intellectual detachment sometimes blinds him to emotional nuances. The reader must interpret his account, questioning his motives and the completeness of his story, especially regarding his own actions and feelings. This device enhances the complexity of the narrative and encourages critical engagement with the text, reflecting the subjective nature of memory and truth.
Didactic Dialogue
Addison's tendency to explain and analyze concepts at length.
Addison frequently engages in lengthy, often philosophical monologues or dialogues where he explains his theories, analyzes human behavior, or expounds on various intellectual concepts. This didactic style reflects his precocious intelligence and his need to intellectualize everything, even emotional experiences. While sometimes verbose, it serves to showcase his unique voice and worldview, providing insight into his thought processes and motivations. It also allows the author to explore deeper themes through Addison's analytical lens.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“The thing about grief is that it doesn't care if you're a good person or a bad person. It just rips you apart.”
— Kevin reflecting on the universal nature of grief after his friend's death.
“Sometimes you have to break a few rules to find out what the real rules are.”
— Kevin justifying his unconventional investigation methods.
“Everyone has secrets. It's just a matter of how well they hide them.”
— Kevin's cynical view on the hidden lives of people around him.
“There's a difference between not knowing something and not wanting to know it.”
— Kevin pondering the willful ignorance of adults regarding the truth.
“The world doesn't make sense, but you still have to live in it.”
— Kevin's resigned acceptance of life's inherent chaos.
“You can't trust anyone who doesn't like dogs.”
— Kevin's casual, yet firm, judgment of character.
“Being a teenager is like being stuck in a waiting room for the rest of your life.”
— Kevin expressing his frustration with the transitional phase of adolescence.
“Sometimes the answers are right in front of you, but you're too busy looking for something else.”
— Kevin's realization about overlooked clues.
“The truth is a messy business.”
— Kevin acknowledging the complicated nature of uncovering facts.
“You never really know what's going on inside someone else's head.”
— Kevin reflecting on the unknowable inner lives of others.
“We're all just trying to figure things out, even the adults.”
— Kevin's maturing perspective on the struggles of adults.
“Silence can be louder than any scream.”
— Kevin observing the profound impact of unspoken grief or secrets.
“There's a certain freedom in knowing you have nothing left to lose.”
— Kevin's mindset as he pursues the truth without fear.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
Addison Schacht is trying to solve the murder of his classmate, Kevin Broadus. He believes the police are not adequately investigating the case and takes it upon himself to uncover the truth, often putting himself in precarious situations.
