SPEEDING BULLET by Neal Shusterman

copyright date: 1991

primarily marketed for: young adults (7^th grade up)

In preparation for our author re-visit, I tried to read every Neal Shusterman book that has been sitting in my pile of books to read.  Every time I read his work I am blown away.

Speeding Bullet is typical of Shusterman’s work in the sense that there is a supernatural element in the story, but it is so realistically told that as a reader, I completely suspend my disbelief.   

Nick Herrera is an average teenager with below average intelligence.  He is constantly told by teachers he sees as completely unreliable that if he simply believed in himself more, he would achieve greater success in school.  It is not until a chance encounter with fate at a New York subway stop that Nick’s self-image begins to change. 

After saving a young girl’s life and defying death himself in the face of a speeding train, Nick notices that luck is consistently on his side all of a sudden.  He feels drawn to continue to find situations in which to rescue others, and despite pleas from his parents and his new girlfriend (daughter of the richest builder in New York City), Nick continues to tempt fate by risking his life to save them. 

As he racks up an increasingly large number of rescues, the media can’t help but notice.  His newfound fame finally becomes too great a burden when he is asked to help prevent a suicide.  Rumors about the extent of his powers circulate and threaten to undo him altogether.

This is a riveting story, filled with the thoughtful and thought-provoking writing I have come to expect from Shusterman.  The ending is just open-ended enough to leave the story lingering in my mind for weeks to come.