Young Adult: 13-18 (better for age 14 +)
By Allen Zadoff
This fast paced thriller follows the story of Boy Nobody – a teenager trained as an assassin who infiltrates high schools around the country taking out targets according to his ‘parents’ instructions. (A government agency called The Program.) Picture a teenage Jason Bourne. Way older than his 16 years, Boy Nobody has a hidden past – his own parents were reportedly killed by a similar young assassin. Fresh from a successful mission, his next challenge is his most daunting yet – to assassinate the mayor of New York.
The only things standing in his way are his feelings for the mayor’s daughter Sam and the slowly returning memory of his normal life before his brainwashing into The Program. The pace is fast and absorbing – the use of short sharp sentences builds dramatic tension and gives you an insight into the mechanical way Boy Nobody operates. This is the first in a trilogy from Zadoff, the award–winning author of Food, Girls and Other Things I can’t Have and there are rumours of a movie deal. I enjoyed the writing style and got pulled into the story quickly but a few weak spots in the plot and characterisation threw me off a bit.
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