Acceleration
posted in thrillers, young adult, book review |
Duncan has earned his status as a troubled teen—he has committed crimes with his friends, and he continues to be haunted by his failed attempt to save a girl from drowning the previous summer. This summer he attempts to withdraw and to forget by placing himself deep in the heart of the Toronto subway system working in the Transit Commission’s lost and found department.
Duncan soon discovers what it truly means to be troubled, however, when during one of his shifts at the Lost and Found he stumbles upon a mysterious journal with some utterly troubled content. The journal’s owner appears to be an animal torturer, woman-stalker, and sadistic serial killer who keeps notes regarding his past conquests and future targets in his journal. Duncan concludes, “The world is full of ugly, twisted people. There, that’s my Mr. Rogers thought for the day.”
And while Duncan tries to leave it at that, he finds himself spurred into action. He finds the journal so deeply disturbing that despite his own best interests he feels compelled to hand it over to the police—the same police who believe him to be a troubled teen with recurring delinquent behavior. The police disregard Duncan’s concerns, and the chase and race against time begin as Duncan decides to try to track and find the journal’s owner and to save his next target before she becomes the next victim.
As the trail heats up and Duncan encounters the basest of human nature, he faces difficult decisions that will change him forever. Readers who enjoy suspense and thriller books with a touch of serial murder will want to prepare to accelerate with Duncan as he discovers the strength of his character, the depth of his friendships, and the redemption he’s been seeking since the previous summer.
Acceleration earned multiple honors such as the Edgar Allen Poe Award (2004) and the YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2004) .
Just a few YA Readalikes:
- Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden
- The Killer’s Cousin by Nancy Werlin
- Tenderness by Robert Cormier
- What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles
