Heck’s life has never been too great. But after the landlord kicks them out of their apartment his mother abandons him and leaves instructions for him to stay at a friend’s house, he loses it. He cannot tell his friend that his mother left him, again (she sometimes leaves and comes back after a while), so he steals twenty dollars from his friend and goes out on his own to find his mother. He believes that he has to be a hero to find his mom and he tries to do good things for others. He eventually meets up with Marion and becomes friends with him. He believes that if he does this final Good Deed of helping Marion, then he will find his mother. He continues to try his best, and he sets out to try to help Marion, pay his friend back, and find his mother.

      I didn’t particularly like this book. I found the whole story to be confusing and absurd. The characters act like they are children who cannot use their brains. For example, Heck, who is thirteen, gives away any money he gets instead of using it to try to locate his mother. Marion, who is eighteen, acts like an eight year old who cannot think straight. If you’re looking for a quick read though, you should read this one. This only took a few hours to read and if you can sort out all the details, then you’re set. After I reflect on this novel, I appreciate the different things it tried to incorporate in it. It did try to get a good message across, which is that you should appreciate the things and people you have, before they’re gone. If this book was written in a less disorganized method, then I probably would have liked it more. Readers anywhere from ages ten and up could read this. To be able to sort out the details, you would probably have to be in at least sixth or seventh grade.

~ Stelios Theophanous, Boardman High School, Grade 10