Helpful Score: 1
A most interesting book. The author depicts a 15-year-old boy, vastly overweight, who is the butt of ridicule that he calls "rain" in school. With no friends, he spends every day after school on a bridge above a busy highway where he observes vehicles race beneath him. His knowledge of cars is extensive and he loves this place which he claims as his own. However, his life changes when late one afternoon he views what appears to be a road rage incident only to discover that he has seen a murder. The accused murderer is a famous gangster who has been set up by others to take the fall. Moo as his school mates call Mike truthfully tells his story to the police. Moo becomes a sought after witness that both the police and the gangster seek to influence. I found getting into the mind of a 15-year-old difficult at first but as the story progressed I empathized with this insecure boy who has suddenly become center of attention. When he bursts into tears on the witness stand I cried with him. I'm not sure that I liked the ending but it was certainly in keeping with the character. Brooks does a remarkable job of telling the story from Mike's perspective from beginning to end.
