K.L. Going Reviews

Added June 12, 2007

Saint Iggy

Author: K.L. Going
Publisher:Harcourt, Inc.
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: September 2006
Genre: Young Adult: Contemporary/Mainstream
Format: Hardcover
Price: $17.00
ISBN-10: 0-15-205795-4
ISBN-13: 9780152057954
Author Email/Website: www.klgoing.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

I'll be honest- I thought I was going to hate this book. After quickly skimming through it, I expected it to be about a smart mouthed teenager who gets kicked out of school and tries to fix things. Okay, it really is about a smart mouthed teenager who gets kicked out of school and tries to fix things, but it is more than that. Believe me, this book is worth reading.

Iggy Corso is one of those characters that linger in the mind long after the last page is turned. When he gets thrown out of school, he realizes that his life needs a new direction. He has no family to help him (both his parents are drug addicts) and his only friend is a pot-smoking law school dropout with a bunch of emotional baggage. That leaves Iggy to decide on a course of action that will make his life meaningful. As the story swiftly moves to an explosive climax, readers will enter Iggy's world of pain and problems, and will come to understand the reason for his actions.

K.L.Going's book has a unique blend of genuine and gritty. This young adult novel speaks with the desperation and determination of a teenager caught in the crossfire of our confused culture. In a stunning transformation, Iggy Corso changes from an arrogant young man to an agonized boy looking for the right answers. His world of poverty, danger and drugs is sketched with simple details and appropriate dialogue. However, since profanity is present, a caution is warranted.

Setting the story during the week before Christmas gives it an almost 'religious' feel and serves to highlight the significance of the title. Iggy Corso is truly a modern day martyr in a world gone mad.

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