When I Was Joe by Keren David


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ty and his mother, Nicki, are taken into witness protection after Ty witnesses the death of a young boy in a London park. In his new persona as Joe, Ty is able to reinvent himself. He makes friends at his new school, attracts the attention of Ashley, the clique queen, and starts training as a runner. But living a lie proves difficult for both Ty and his mother, because Ty hasn't told the police the whole truth.

The novel vibrates with tension. There are several attempts on Ty's life, his Gram is attacked, and school personnel treat him with suspicion because they've been told 'there was some trouble at his old school.' David uses Ty's point of view to frame the narrative. This effectively highlights the tension between playing the role of Joe and reflecting on exactly who Ty really is. This is the first of several novels about Ty; a teaser chapter to the next book is included. David has created an interesting young adult who must navigate his journey of self discovery while caught up in truly suspenseful game of cat and mouse. I look forward to the next installment of his journey. This book was reviewed from the ARC.

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