Boy Nobody

Gr 9 Up—In this fast-paced thriller, readers quickly learn that 16-year-old "Boy Nobody," a Jason Bourne-like assassin, doesn't have friends. He receives his assignments from a clandestine group called "The Program." Intelligent and skilled in combat, he's been trained to ignore sentiment and emotion in favor of finely tuned instincts and intuition to kill. But nagging questions about his past, The Program, and his role in it are brought to the forefront when his handlers, "Mother" and "Father," give him a new mission on an accelerated time line. The latest target is beautiful Sam Goldberg's father, who's also the lauded mayor of New York City. This novel is predominately narrated by Boy Nobody in first-person present tense (save for the occasional revelatory flashback). The teen characters are world-weary and mature, but at the same time realistically vulnerable and susceptible to manipulation. Sex is suggested or happens off page. With short, action-filled chapters, this is a good choice for reluctant readers. It reads much like popular adult thrillers and will certainly find its way into the hands of guys, but also holds appeal for any suspense-novel fan. Unresolved mysteries and an open-ended conclusion make this a promising start to an exciting new series.—Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ