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Friday, June 13, 2014

Take One With You

Take One With YouTake One With You by Oak Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This book brings up an interesting concept: if you're going to commit suicide, why not "take one with you", the "one" being someone who should die anyway. Someone who committed an unspeakable crime, such as murder or rape, and either got away with it or served a lot less time than they should have for the crime. It's vigilante justice taken to a new level. For me, it's also the mindset behind the suicide bombers in the Middle East, and all of the recent shooting sprees at various places in the US. Some would argue that the examples in the book were criminals who deserved to die, but the real-life examples I gave involve innocent bystanders. The problem with any vigilante justice is that it's a slippery slope. What you and I consider innocent, the killer may consider either criminal or simply means to an end. That's what plays itself out in this book. I was a little confused at first. The book kept going back and forth among several sets of characters. Eventually, we get to Charlie and Sarah, the ones who start the website publicizing this movement. We meet them and get to know them, and discover some of their motivation. We also see what happens when the situation spirals out of control. The book also intersperses realistic transcripts and pictures showing the national scope of this movement, making it seem more real. Part of me wanted the book to be written in a more lineal fashion, instead of bouncing back and forth in time. Part of me appreciated the suspense. All in all, a good book. It should come with a warning label, though. "This is a work of fiction. Do not try this yourself."

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