Actual rating: 3.5 StarsARC provided by NetGalleyFifteen-year-old Shreve is in juvie. He's gotten used to the routine, and he thinks he has it all figured out. Everyone around him is the same, and they'll leave him alone as long as he keeps dealing them candy. (Yes, candy.)But everything changes when Shreve gets a new cellmate––quiet and mysterious Jack. And Shreve soon discovers a few unusual things about Jack: First of all, he has six fingers on each hand. Secondly, he seems to have superpowers.Jack has attracted the attention of his fellow prisoners, and also the attention of a man named Mr. Quincrux––who says he's from the Department of Health and Human Services. But Shreve soon discovers that Mr. Quincrux has a superpower of his own, and that he has plans to harm Jack. And to Shreve, this means one thing––that he and Jack have to escape.The Twelve-Fingered Boy was quite an addicting read. I started it one morning and couldn't put it down until I'd reached the end. The plot never stops moving and quickly shifts from one thing to the next. It's a story full of action and mystery, and it also has a sense of gritty realism that sets it apart from most "superpower" stories. (It reminded me a lot of [b:The Marbury Lens|7995207|The Marbury Lens (The Marbury Lens, #1)|Andrew Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312061503s/7995207.jpg|12492437] by Andrew Smith, so it didn't surprise me when I got to the end and saw that Smith had done a blurb for it.)Shreve's narration is one of the best parts of the book, and he's an easy character to like. He seems hardened on the surface, but throughout the story it's clear that he also has a caring side. And yet, his voice remains consistent and true to his personality."We're born into pain, and we leave in pain, he says, "and we cause it along the way too, it seems. It's a damned hard lesson."As you can see, he has kind of a Holden Caulfield vibe.I wanted to know more about Jack, but he was still a likable character, and I thought his friendship with Shreve was developed very nicely.I think there were just two major things that I thought could have used work:- The pacing. Even though the book moved at a fast and addicting speed, as I said earlier, it felt a little awkward and/or choppy at times. I felt that the part that took place in juvie went on for a little too long, and that Shreve and Jack's adventures once they escaped felt a little crammed together. Towards the end especially, there was a lot going on and I sometimes got a little confused.- Mr. Quincrux. I had trouble taking him seriously. Sure, he was creepy, but he just wasn't a very fleshed-out or developed villain. It seemed like he was evil "just because" and he didn't really need another reason. He was scary, but he was two-dimensional in my opinion. I would have liked to know more about who he was and what his motives were.Over all, though, I thought this book was enjoyable. It wasn't amazing, but it was at least exciting and was well-written. I'd gladly read more work from John Hornor Jacobs in the future.
Flying Kick-a-pow!
Hi people! I'm Brigid, a college student and lover of all things book-related--writing them, reading them, reviewing them, biting them ... Yeah. I mostly read YA but I'm open to pretty much everything.
Actual rating: 3.5 StarsARC provided by NetGalleyFifteen-year-old Shreve is in juvie. He's gotten used to the routine, and he thinks he has it all figured out. Everyone around him is the same, and they'll leave him alone as long as he keeps dealing them candy. (Yes, candy.)But everything changes when Shreve gets a new cellmate––quiet and mysterious Jack. And Shreve soon discovers a few unusual things about Jack: First of all, he has six fingers on each hand. Secondly, he seems to have superpowers.Jack has attracted the attention of his fellow prisoners, and also the attention of a man named Mr. Quincrux––who says he's from the Department of Health and Human Services. But Shreve soon discovers that Mr. Quincrux has a superpower of his own, and that he has plans to harm Jack. And to Shreve, this means one thing––that he and Jack have to escape.The Twelve-Fingered Boy was quite an addicting read. I started it one morning and couldn't put it down until I'd reached the end. The plot never stops moving and quickly shifts from one thing to the next. It's a story full of action and mystery, and it also has a sense of gritty realism that sets it apart from most "superpower" stories. (It reminded me a lot of [b:The Marbury Lens|7995207|The Marbury Lens (The Marbury Lens, #1)|Andrew Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312061503s/7995207.jpg|12492437] by Andrew Smith, so it didn't surprise me when I got to the end and saw that Smith had done a blurb for it.)Shreve's narration is one of the best parts of the book, and he's an easy character to like. He seems hardened on the surface, but throughout the story it's clear that he also has a caring side. And yet, his voice remains consistent and true to his personality."We're born into pain, and we leave in pain, he says, "and we cause it along the way too, it seems. It's a damned hard lesson."As you can see, he has kind of a Holden Caulfield vibe.I wanted to know more about Jack, but he was still a likable character, and I thought his friendship with Shreve was developed very nicely.I think there were just two major things that I thought could have used work:- The pacing. Even though the book moved at a fast and addicting speed, as I said earlier, it felt a little awkward and/or choppy at times. I felt that the part that took place in juvie went on for a little too long, and that Shreve and Jack's adventures once they escaped felt a little crammed together. Towards the end especially, there was a lot going on and I sometimes got a little confused.- Mr. Quincrux. I had trouble taking him seriously. Sure, he was creepy, but he just wasn't a very fleshed-out or developed villain. It seemed like he was evil "just because" and he didn't really need another reason. He was scary, but he was two-dimensional in my opinion. I would have liked to know more about who he was and what his motives were.Over all, though, I thought this book was enjoyable. It wasn't amazing, but it was at least exciting and was well-written. I'd gladly read more work from John Hornor Jacobs in the future.
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