Kill Switch
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A gripping account of espionage and loyalty that Booklist calls “a compact, frayed-nerves bundle of brilliance,” from National Book Award Finalist Chris Lynch.
All Daniel wants to do is spend one last summer with his grandfather before he moves away for college and his grandfather’s dementia pulls them apart. But when his dear old Da starts to let things slip about the job he used to hold—people he’s killed, countries he’s overthrown—old work “friends” show up to make sure he stays quiet. Was his grandfather really involved in a world of assassinations and coups, or are the stories just delusions of a crumbling mind? On the run from the police (and possibly something worse) before he has time to find out, Daniel may have to sacrifice everything to protect his grandfather from those who would do him harm.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lynch (Angry Young Man) mixes tragedy, psychological drama, and action to tell a story about testing the bounds of family loyalty. Daniel loves Da, his grandfather, and is heartbroken over Da's increasing memory loss and dementia. He's also surprised when Da who has supposedly never left the country mentions having visited Cardiff and Tel Aviv. Daniel assumes it's a symptom of dementia at first, but soon becomes convinced that Da was not only involved in covert operations, but also that Da's former employers might be trying to silence him. Soliciting the help of a stoner cousin, Daniel hides Da on a college campus, where Da reveals more of his violent past and Daniel begins to feel the unsettling impact of Da's volatility. Lynch's taut writing is often witty (Da "just forgot to forget" some of his secrets) and develops the central characters through sharp dialogue and focused interactions. The narrative's meandering style and emphasis on emotional undercurrents over plot may perplex readers expecting a spy thriller, but in exchange, Lynch creates a suspenseful exploration of human relationships and the capacity to commit acts of brutality. Ages 12 up.
