I didn't set out to read a young adult historical, but this book captured me immediately when I saw it sitting on the table in the YA section of the library (where I spend much of my time lately).
Set in Australia in the year 1919, Runner is the story of an impoverished family, and the lengths to which protagonist Charlie Feehan is willing to go to take care of his family. He begins running as an outlet for his grief and to stay warm, but soon earns a position as a runner for Sqiuzzy Taylor, a notorious gangster of the day. Charlie's kindheartedness gets him in trouble with Squizzy, and ultimately his running and the needs of his family take him in another direction.
There are two things that I absolutely loved about this story. First, the characters are unforgettable, each complex and real, even those that are only mentioned for a moment. The other is the voice-- even the rhythm of the narrative portions of the story stay true to feel of the Australian dialog. I've never read a book in which this was so amazingly and subtly well done.
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Wow, sounds great! I actually enjoy reading YA fiction, the stories always seem more intersting to me, maybe the authors try harder to keep that age group interested, I don't know.;)Not that I don't enjoy adult fiction. Have you by chance, read the His Dark Materials Trilogy? I read it this summer, because the first book was coming to theaters this December. VERY interesting and very morally disturbing, at least from a Christian's point of view. But I really enjoyed it.
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