Now safely relocated to Connecticut, Ronan (DON'T call him Evelyn, please) and his mom live a busy life, with Ronan booked in gymnastics, kendo, and Krav Maga classes. In the first chapter, Ronan's mom picks him up from school and tells her son, "Hold on." A high-speed car chase begins, with Ronan's mom driving down one-way streets, flying down stairs, and a stealing a police car. She tells her son, "Trust no one," before putting him alone on a train out of harm's way (or so we think). On the train Ronan meets Dawkins who provides much of the book's humor, and Greta, a smart and scrappy girl who gets herself entangled in the journey.
After Chapter One, the book never slows down. While all of the action sequences may keep readers engaged, I lost track of all of the fight scenes, near-misses and get-aways. The high-stakes pursuit is because Ronan's mom is a Blood Guard, a person dedicated to protect the Pure, thirty-six people with true souls who must not die in order for the world to survive. The Bend Sinister, who have found a way to capture the souls of the Pure and destroy the world, chase the main characters in a classic good vs. evil plot.
Throughout the book, Ronan learns he is more than he thinks, and the teamwork and friendship developed with Greta and Dawkins is a pleasure to read. The book ends on a cliffhanger that hits the right tone: charming, exciting, and funny.