The Recently Read posts will tend to be books I have enjoyed. For a full roundup of books I have read and their reviews you can find me on Goodreads Here.
The Hit by Allen Zadoff
Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and doesn’t stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend’s family to die — of “natural causes.” Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, and moves on to the next target.
When his own parents died of not-so-natural causes at the age of eleven, Boy Nobody found himself under the control of The Program, a shadowy government organization that uses brainwashed kids as counter-espionage operatives. But somewhere, deep inside Boy Nobody, is somebody: the boy he once was, the boy who wants normal things (like a real home, his parents back), a boy who wants out. And he just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program’s next mission.
My Thoughts:
I loved this book and couldn’t read it fast enough.
The prose is clean, sharp and to the point. It conveys how the boy, known as Ben throughout this book, is supposed to be. After all, he is a trained killer and he’s only 16 years old. It’s told in first person narrative so you know exactly what Ben is thinking as he quickly assesses information, any threats around him and whether it’s the right moment to make his “hit”.
The problem comes for Ben when you see and feel that part of him that is still only a 16-year-old boy. No matter how much training and conditioning he has gone through he still has a past to deal with and a present assignment to do that is difficult and emotional and brings up memories he hadn’t thought about for some time. The book takes you through the assignment and its difficulties for Ben.
The difference between the assassin in Ben and the emotional side is dealt with wonderfully and believably. And the conversation he has with his handler known as Mother at the end where some difficult aspects of the assignment are pointed out to him are really clever and thought-provoking.
I really enjoyed this and will definitely be reading the next in the series.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my copy.
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
Sounds powerful.
Margot Kinberg says
Rebecca – What an unusual and thought-provoking premise for a novel! I can well imagine that the story brings up all sorts of questions that go beyond the actual plot (how the hits are arranged and carried out and so on). I’m glad you enjoyed it.
cleopatralovesbooks says
This sounds like one of those books that makes you think, and I like those. Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂
realthog says
Sounds fun!
his handler known as Mother
Sounds familiar . . . at least for those of us old enough to remember the later stages of The Avengers!
Carol Balawyder says
This sounds like a fascinating look into the mind of a 16 year old trained killer by corrupt government. It’s a frightening idea and yet one not far from reality and I particularly like that the book explores his conflict with his more humane side. Thanks for sharing this, Rebecca.
Jacqui Murray says
I wonder why they changed the name. Boy Nobody seems better to me. Why oh why didn’t they check with me for my opinion.