If We Survive (339 Pages + 1 1/2 paged readers' guide)

Andrew Klavan has written one of the most exciting reads I've encountered in a VERY long time.  This is a book that boys will inhale, but girls will enjoy as well. (You know the silliness fact that boys will only pick "boy" books, but girls will read anything!) The main character of the book is Will Peterson, a 16 year old who is sick and tired of his parents arguing, and he doesn't want to guess anymore about whether or not they're going to divorce. He is the narrator of the story. So Will joins up with a small group from his church, Pastor Ron, and a college girl, Meredith, who sometimes attends the church's services (and on whom Will has an incredible crush). Also in his group is another boy, Jim, who is pretty much a pompous ass, until the end of the book. The other high school member is a girl, Nicki, who is so into herself and all of the trappings of the American easy way of life, that she drives the reader crazy- in a funny kind of way. Finally there is the ex-Marine, Palmer Dunn. He flies the group into the area, and returns to pick them up and fly them home. So the five members of the church group head down to Central America with the intention of building a wall at a school that is in terrible shape. This they accomplish and are sitting in a cantina, drinking cokes, and waiting for Palmer to arrive and pick them up. And then all hell breaks loose. A very mean man named Mendoza, slams open the door, steps inside the cantina, and uses his machine gun to kill one of the waiters. He is followed by 4 rebels, dressed in jungle-green fatigues, with red bandannas around their necks, and all carrying AK 47s strapped across their chests. And all of this happens in the first 32 pages of the book. AND it doesn't slow down after that!