"Acceleration" by Graham McNamee

Summary of Acceleration by Graham McNamee
Duncan is working at Toronto's lost and found for the subway.  In the midst of this boring summer job, he finds a brown book with no name.  The journal of a very disturbed individual, the entries appear to be accelerating into the marks of a serial killer.  After a failed attempt to interest the police in what he's found, Duncan and his friend Vinny decide to find the psycho themself.  Instead, he shows up on his own, looking for the diary and Duncan's life is in danger.

McNamee, G. (2003).  Acceleration.  New York, NY:  Wendy Lamb Books.

Personal Reflections of Acceleration
Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Duncan feels compelled to save someone.  His obsession over this incident is effecting his present life.  In his mind, finding the journal is a way to redeem himself.  The book is a fast-paced thriller with sarcastic humor.  Since Duncan seems down in the dumps, it's a good fit.  The story is believable, although most people wouldn't want to try to track down a serial killer.  The author also uses hot and cold elements throughout the book for emphasis on certain passages.

Reviews
"Seventeen-year-old Duncan hates his summer job in the lost-and-found department of the Toronto Transit Commission. In his office below the subway tunnels, Duncan sorts through and retrieves items lost on buses and trains: a golf club, sunglasses, giant thong underwear, umbrellas, and cell phones. When he looks through a lost diary and finds a would-be murderer's plans for his first victim, he decides to hunt him down. Having failed recently in an attempt to save a drowning girl, he sees this as a chance to redeem himself and stop his nightmares. Enlisting his wise-guy friends, Vinny and Wayne, he stalks the stalker and finds himself in over his head. The creepy, morgue-like setting and the friendship among the teenaged boys are well-drawn, with a fair amount of humor to balance the chills. Though readers may wonder why Duncan fails to consider certain obvious points along the way, this is a well-written, read-it-in-one-gulp thriller."
Review by Kirkus and Retrieved from Barnes & Noble.

"Seventeen-year-old Duncan is haunted by the fact that he was unable to save a drowning girl a few yards away one fateful afternoon the previous September. This summer he has a job working underground at the Toronto subway lost and found where he uncovers, amid the piles of forgotten junk, an opportunity to exorcise his own guilty demons. When business is slow, Duncan spends his time rummaging through dusty shelves and boxes of unclaimed items. During one of these sessions, he uncovers a strange, leather-bound book that turns out to be the diary of a would-be serial killer. Unable to tear himself from the gory descriptions of tortured animals and arson, he discovers that the writer has started to stalk women on the subway. When the police seem disinterested, the teen takes matters into his own hands, and with the aid of his two best friends, tries to track and trap the murderer before he can strike. This chilling page-turner is all thrills, and the author cleverly manipulates readers' sense of disbelief by eliminating the possibility of police help or parental understanding. What results is one teen's self-conscious yet fast-paced journey into the mind of a cold-blooded killer, and the resulting manhunt will keep readers on the edge of their seats."
Review by Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library, Copyright 2003, Reed Business Information, and Retrieved from Barnes & Noble.

Suggestions for Use in Library and School
Three choices for an essay.  Write a different ending to the story.  What does "acceleration" mean within the story?  Why is it impossible for Duncan to get the police interested or discuss with his parents what was found in the diary?