One Word Kill
By: Mark Lawrence
Nick and his Dungeons & Dragons-playing friends are used to living in their imaginations. But when a new girl, Mia, joins the group and reality becomes weirder than the fantasy world they visit in their weekly games, none of them are prepared for what comes next. A strange—yet curiously familiar—man is following Nick, with abilities that just shouldn’t exist. And this man bears a cryptic message: Mia’s in grave danger, though she doesn’t know it yet. She needs Nick’s help—now.
Auuster's Takeaway
The beginning of this book is very much like the title, One Word Kill. Like the title the first half of the book doesn’t seem to have a plot or explain a lot. The story follows Nick Hayes, a young boy who had recently been diagnosed with the C word, cancer. Strange things begin to happen a couple weeks after when he picks up the one word kill spell in a Dungeons and Dragons game with his circle of close friends.
The boring half of the books is over as the events seem to speed up. Nick becomes acquainted with his future self whom has returned to ensure that his future timeline is maintained. He guides Nick and his friends through several events and gives Nick hope that he will survive his cancer. One word kill becomes relevant again near the end where Nick is faced with a difficult decision. He must decide to change his fate or follow through with Nick’s plans.
I felt that the beginning of the story was really drawn out. It does really well to augment the sense that the latter events occurred with a quicker pace. The last half of the book is, in comparison, much more action packed. There are fights, dancing and even a robbery. Ultimately, everything does tie in together and finishes with a cute ending.