The Twelve-Fingered Boy - YA Book Review

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Shreve Cannon has been in juvenile detention for six months and already has a reputation as the go-to guy for illegal candy purchases. He's making the most of his time in juvie, but all that changes when he gets a new cellmate. There's something different about Jack, and it's not just that he's quiet or cries himself to sleep at night. Jack has six fingers on each hand, and when he gets angry, bad things happen. Think The Incredible Hulk.

A man named Quincrux periodically visits Jack in juvie, and from what Shreve understands after eavesdropping on the conversations, Quincrux is very interested in Jack's physical abnormality but wants more than Jack is willing or able to give. The only way to escape Quincrux is to escape juvie.

So Shreve and Jack team up and use Jack's "angry" power and Shreve's newly discovered mental powers to break out and go on the lam. They're not sure where they're going or why they're the ones with these mysterious powers, and staying one step ahead of Quincrux is easier said than done.

This is the first book in a series from author John Hornor Jacobs. The second book, The Shibboleth, recently came out, and I'm eager to read it to see what happens next. This first book answers all the questions it can, but there's still so much more for the readers and Jack and Shreve to discover. The ending definitely leaves you wanting more, and I have a feeling that this is a series where all will be revealed at the very end.

This is for kids in grades 9-12, so ages 14/15-18. I think that's a pretty appropriate age range. The main characters are 15 and 13, and there is some language throughout the book as well as parts toward the end that get a little violent.

The Twelve-Fingered Boy is published by Carolrhoda Lab and is available to purchase now. I received a free review copy for my honest review.