Fitz by Mick Cochrane

Fifteen-year old Fitz has acquired a gun for the sole purpose of getting his absent father to answer some questions and spend some “quality time” with him.  A provocative premise and short chapters will appeal to reluctant readers.  Less appealing, however, are the author’s choice to employ third-person narration, a protagonist who is remains fuzzy about his self-understanding throughout the book, and a literary affectation that never feels authentic.  This book is best suited to more sophisticated teen readers and those who can easily connect with the plight of a teen who has many unanswered questions about an absent parent.  Fitz pairs interestingly with 50 Cent’s Playground and Morgenroth’s Jude.  The lack of urban grit makes it a tougher sell to urban readers, but for those willing to cross geographical boundaries, the Minnesota setting may be a breath of fresh air.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Random house has made an excerpt available here.

Cochrane, Mick.  Fitz.  Alfred A. Knopf:  New York, 2012. Print.