So, I feel like everyone has at least one book they read as a kid that was way too old for them, but was totally awesome anyway.
Mine was Vertical Run
by Joseph Garber. My aunt left it behind after she stayed at our house for a visit when I was somewhere between 12 and 14. Knowing I was always needing something to read, my mom let me keep it without really knowing what it was about. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to anyone younger than 16 or 17. Not because the book is hugely inappropriate. It's not. It's just very violent and has a lot of very foul language (some of those people are very creative, especially for a 12 year old). This is the book that introduced me to conspiracy literature.
The whole book is about a highly trained group of huge muscle bound mercenaries trying to kill a middle-aged Vietnam vet inside his 50 story office building. As his specialized combat training begins to return, he fights back and serious amounts of mayhem ensue. Dave is our main character and it was fascinating to follow his interactions with Ransome, the main 'bad guy' (or is he?...) . This book takes place within a roughly 24-hour time frame, and with only a few exceptions, happens entirely within one 50 story office building. Dave has to stay a step ahead of them in order to survive and he has very limited resources. He has no idea why they are after him. All he knows is that they seem to possess incredible amounts of power and authority and that they have managed to bring everyone he knows and cares about on their side. With no one to turn to and no where to run, Dave must find the tools to stay alive while also trying to unravel the carefully hidden secret that will explain why everyone around him seems to suddenly want him dead. Ha, and you thought your day sucked.
Interspersed throughout the book are flashbacks to Dave's younger years, both growing up and the time he served in the military. Each segment is a lead in to a skill or ability Dave has learned that will allow him to escape and survive yet again. They were a lot of fun, and never felt clunky or forced. I also loved Dave's snarky inner voice. It isn't really Dave and it isn't really a separate person either. It's more a blend of the two. This inner voice is about as close as you can come to hearing voices without actually being considered crazy... (Perhaps.)
I've reread this book many times and will undoubtedly read it again in the future. It comes really close to a basically amazing review, and I loved it, but I don't love the ending. We do end up discovering why everyone wants to kill poor Dave. But, I feel like the author took the easy way out. The way we (and Dave) obtain the information is plausible, but not quite in character and felt like Garber just really needed a quick way to end it. (a la Ransome ex Machina)
Now that you know my 'under-aged' favorite, please share yours! Leave the book that you knew you shouldn't be reading but loved anyway in the comments section. Share what you liked about it then, and what you think of it now, if you have reread it.