Now that I'm doing all of the ordering for the YA collection, I get to see the new books first. Something about this one piqued my interest...it could have been the Walden connection, the cover or the summar on the front cover but I knew I wanted to read it.
I took it home to read last weekend not really knowing what to expect. Aside from a few spelling errors, the book is fast-paced and suspenseful. It's one of those books that you don't want to put down because you want to know what is going to happen next.
The book starts in Penn Station in NYC with our then unnamed lead character. Unnamed because he cannot remember who is, where he is from or how he managed to end up in NYC bleeding with only $10 and a worn out copy of Walden.
As the story progresses, the unnamed character becomes Hank who is caught up in a youth drug ring in NYC. He and two of his new friends end up in some trouble and Hank finds himself running again, although he has yet to figure out why he is running in the first place.
Hank runs to Walden Pond in Concord, MA to find himself, much as Henry David Thoreau did in the 18th century. Here Hanks meets Hailey who he helps overcome some fears of her own and Thomas, a Thoreau enthusiast/librarian who helps Hank discover who he is.
There are lots of surpises along the way and had it not been for the mistakes or some questions at the end I found myself asking, I would have given this book a five-star rating. There are lots of unanswered questions though. Sequel maybe?
I would recommend this book to most teens, especially boys who might be reluctant readers because it has a great sense of adventure. It also is a fast read, which most teens are looking for. This would be a great movie one day.
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