From the Publisher
* "Lynch’s writing, parched with desert-dry humor, is so fine that a breakfast table conversation is just as gripping as the paranoia-laced scenes of the trio evading a shadowy doom. A compact, frayed-nerves bundle of brilliance.—
Booklist, starred review
"A great premise, developed with brilliant prose...characters are sympathetically and vividly evoked, and the brief novel is a model of good writing."—The Horn Book
"A psychological exploration that leaves readers with just as many interesting questions as answers."—School Library Journal
"Lynch’s masterly balance of life-or-death road trip and tender grandfather/grandson relationship makes this an unusual, first-rate thriller."—BCCB
"Lynch’s masterly balance of life-or-death road trip and tender grandfather/grandson relationship makes this an unusual, first-rate thriller."—BCCB
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. (Apr.)
VOYA
- Jan Chapman
Kill Switch has a fascinating premise—what would happen if a former spy/spook developed Alzheimer's and suddenly began talking about classified black ops? Despite his dementia, Daniel's grandfather, Da, has always told great stories, but the stories are beginning to have a frightening edge. When Da's former co-workers begin to show up and make threatening insinuations about putting Da in a "home," Daniel and his Da end up on the run, along with Daniel's stoner cousin, Jarrod. During their flight, Da becomes increasingly violent and ruthless, willing to do anything to keep from being captured. Perhaps even more frightening for Daniel is his own newly discovered propensity for the exact same violence and ruthlessness. This is a taut thriller that raises fascinating philosophical and psychological questions about human violence, as well as captures readers' imaginations. Lynch writes to the bone and this novel demonstrates his ability to not waste one word in creating a suspenseful masterpiece that gives us everything—a great plot, complex characters, and provocative themes, including whether there is a genetic component to human violence. Even scenes from ordinary life in the novel are infused with a menacing subtext that keeps the reader enthralled. This sophisticated, yet spare novel will appeal to all readers who enjoy a good thriller, including reluctant readers. Reviewer: Jan Chapman
School Library Journal
Gr 8–10—Daniel has always had a friendly, joshing relationship with his irascible grandfather, so it pains him to see the man slipping into more frequent bouts of memory loss. In the summer before he starts college, Daniel becomes his Da's companion and watchdog, shooing away his former work associates from the Department of Agriculture who seem to turn up at odd times. But Daniel soon learns that people are not always who they appear to be, and that his Da's references to escapades in Angola and Tel Aviv and Dubai may not be the crazy talk of an old man losing touch. After Da takes a joyride and has a run-in with the police, Daniel calls a usually stoned cousin, and the three set off on a road trip, looking for a safe place to hide while they get things sorted out. Kill Switch has very little violence for a novel about a possible assassin. The focus of the story is on the relationships and what might drive a seemingly quiet person to become a killer and, tangentially, where cousin Jarrod can score some weed for himself, and the memory meds Da needs. Has Da committed murders? What is Daniel's potential for violence, if his "kill switch" is tripped? The story throws in a couple of red herrings, but overall it provides a psychological exploration that leaves readers with just as many interesting questions as answers.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX
Kirkus Reviews
An Alzheimer's-fueled thriller fizzles. Daniel Cameron, better known as Young Man, is getting ready to leave home and head off to college, leaving behind his dementia-afflicted grandfather. His grandfather, Da, has begun making radical claims about trips he's taken, cars he's owned and espionage missions he's carried out--things that aren't usually included in the job description of a former agriculture-system analyst. After Da steals a car and is sent to the hospital for observation, Daniel breaks him out on an impromptu road trip in order to quell Da's paranoia that shadowy figures are going to permanently silence him. Lynch's characters and narrative never quite sync, leaving large gaps in motivation and personality that rattle about in the story. Daniel's emotionally numb dialogue coupled with his near-infallible faith in his deteriorating grandfather cause him to become something of a puppet, both for his grandfather and for the author. The vaguely sinister government agents are such a generic plot device as to be forgotten, making Daniel's ultimate confrontation with the agents simultaneously horrific and bland. Lynch's normally exciting work is apparently deep under cover on this mission. (Thriller. 13 & up)
