Nine Days

Fred Hiatt‘s Nine Days is so much more than an action-packed thrill ride.  Don’t get me wrong, it is an action-packed thrill ride: a story that zips along at a breakneck speed, fueled by a cliff hanger at the end of every short chapter, rife with danger, and near death scrapes. But at the same time, Nine Days is also a story that explores freedom, social justice, human rights, and complex, real world problems.   I found it completely engaging and unexpectedly thought-provoking, enjoying the successfully executed thriller inspired by Ti-Anna Wang, the real daughter of a jailed Chinese dissident.

16 year old Ethan has been fascinated by Asian cultures since elementary school.  He’s particularly interested in Chinese history and politics, but he never would have guessed that in the summer after sophomore year, he’d be putting his life on the line in the streets of Hong Kong searching for a friend’s missing father.  But when Ti-Anna Chen confiding in him that her political activist father has gone missing while on a secret trip to Hong Kong, Ethan decides that since Ti-Anna can’t go to the authorities for help, its up to them to do anything they can to save her father’s life.

Before he can have second thoughts, Ethan and Ti-Anna are on a flight to Hong Kong where by sheer luck and a few clues they find themselves on a winding trail from high rise to seedy underworld.  They’re being followed and Ethan believes they’re also being led astray by people they can’t trust.  When the trail leads them to Vietnam and into the hands of human smugglers, their resourcefulness, courage, and friendship are tested to the limits.

• Posted by Cori