Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff YP FIC ZADOFF

He's always the new kid.  every few months, new town, new school, new name, new target.  He is Nobody, and when you meet him it means someone you know is about to die. He is a highly trained 16 year old assassin for The Program.  One job and new life bleeds into the next until he finally gets a job that feels too real.  A target that feels like a family and a place that feels like home. Now he's remembering the 12 year old boy The Program killed to make Boy Nobody, now he's asking questions, now he's the target.  Can Nobody become somebody again, and will he be able to face the truth when he finds it?

This is an amazing spy thriller. Not only does it have suspense, really well crafted action scenes, and twists and turns galore, but it also has an excellent main character that is both alienating and fascinating.  A soulless teen killing machine isn't the most likable or relateable person, but even before he decides to fight the man, rage against the machine, or whatever it is the kids call it these days, he's still a very human monster.  He's conflicted about the cold blooded murders he commits, but has been trained and conditioned to follow orders above all. I think the idea of a teen assassin makes for a great read.  They can slip in and out of places adults aren't allowed and their overlooked by most adults. Also, they can be made to be very loyal. It also works well in a storytelling sense.  I've always had an issue with the romantic portrayal of hitmen and hitwomen in fiction, because let's face it murder isn't very nice.  Making a teen hitperson gives a lot more leeway in understanding how and why he or she might get caught up in it. Zadoff clearly understands this and keeps the reader hooked with Nobody's amazing skill set and ruthless cunning, but also continually questions the justness of his actions.  That way the reader really gets put in his shoes.  We feel the thrill of all the cool cloak and dagger killing, but have to be reminded of the wrongness of it all. Like our poor Boy, we look to the action to distract us.  It's super smart storytelling and elevates the book from being way more than just an excellent action read.  But hey, it also is an excellent action read, so you're covered there too! Zadoff uses short clipped sentences to keep the plot moving and get inside the regimented mind of our narrator.  I highly recommend this to anyone that wants something exciting to read and to anyone that likes books with plenty to read between the lines.

You can find Boy Nobody in our catalog here.

Adaptation by Malinda Lo YP FIC LO (Sadly Nic Cage doesn't play twins that are writing the very book you are reading)

Something is wrongs with the birds. Great flocks of birds are diving into airplanes crashing dozens, killing thousands.  Reese thought it was just something on the news, weird, scary, but far away.  Then a bird flies through her windshield and when she and her (secret) crush David wake up they’re in a military hospital.  After a seemingly miraculous recovery she returns home and nothing is the same.  She feels eyes watching her everywhere.  Her search for the truth sends her headlong into a mysterious and beautiful stranger, Amber Grey.  As Reese struggles with feelings she’s never expected she falls deeper into a dangerous conspiracy with GLOBAL implications.  Feelings aren’t the only thing that’s changing in Reese, she’s changing…adapting, but to what and FOR what?

Malinda Lo has me hooked.  This start of a series has me NEEDING to know what happens next, which honestly surprised me.  The book starts well and then sort of seems to lose direction when Amber and Reese meet.  Since it is a fairly realistic (and well written) look at intense infatuation that actually sort of works for the overall narrative.  Reese is distracted form her main goals and the story follows that, but as much as I liked the romance elements I kept wanting to jump back into the conspiracy stuff. Fortunately, the book acquits itself nicely when it gets back on track.  The sense of tension and dread is well developed.  Lo makes the environmental catastrophe and widening conspiracy super chilling.  I love a good WHO CAN YOU TRUST!!!? book, and this one pays off in spades.  The characterization, dialogue, and scene building are all top notch too.  Reese is a great head strong protagonist with a likeable wit, Amber is an alluring enigma, and David is smart, funny, and relatable.  Also, mad props for Lo including a male Asian hero!  Sci-fi can always use more non-sidekick characters from diverse groups.  Last but not least the special powers that Reese and David start to develop and interesting and Lo does a great job of revealing them slowly and leaving you wanting more, which is what sequels are for!  Adaptation is a great contemporary sci-fi novel with some darned good writing and clever ideas.

You can check our catalog for Adaptation here.

Chew: Taster’s Choice by John Layman art by Rob Guillory YP FIC LAYMAN

Tony Chu is cibopathic. Don’t worry I had never heard of it either. It means he can bite into any food and know everything about it: where it grew, how it was harvested, who had handled it. The only thing it doesn’t work on is beets. Tony Chu eats a lot of beets. In his world the bird flu killed millions and all poultry is illegal. After a bust gone bad Tony stops being a cop and works for the most powerful agency in America the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Where Tony uses his cibopathy to solve the strangest and most secret cases and may even uncover the mystery of who or what caused the Bird Flu.

First off, it is totally awesome to have a non-stereotypical Asian-American hero. Comics definitely could benefit from more diversity. Second, this book is weird as weird gets in a wonderful way. The art is stylish and cartoony, which makes the more gruesome parts (cannibalism, blood, vomiting, etc.) more fun than gross. The book throws new characters at you fast and furious but doesn’t stay with them long. It does work in making me want to read more, but I hope future volumes don’t leave as many plotlines dangling. This volume does set up a fun and quirky mystery that is already paying off.