Book Review: Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

If you're looking for a quick, suspenseful read, Revolver might be a good choice.

In the winter of 1910, fourteen-year-old Sig has just discovered that Einar, his father has frozen to death in the barren Arctic wilderness. He brings his father's body back to his isolated family cabin while his sister and stepmother go for help. Before too long, a strange and frightening man (appropriately named Wolff) appears at Sig's door. Wolff claims that Einar and he had made a deal years ago, and now he intends to collect on it, no matter if Einar is dead or not. A terrifying standoff ensues, and Sig begins to believe that his only hope is to get to his late father's hidden Colt revolver before Wolff realizes what's happening.

The story flashes back and forth between Sig's current situation and Einar's initial encounters with Wolff from ten years ago, when he worked in an Alaskan mining town. Sedgwick does a nice job of merging the two stories together, building up the excitement and presenting Sig with a pivotal moral choice at the story's climax. All this in about 200 pages, for a very solid read.

Kifflie (Next up: Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan)