cover image Dead Cat Bounce

Dead Cat Bounce

Nic Bennett. Razorbill, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-59514-469-0

Debut novelist Bennett channels his experience as a trader into a gripping and globe-spanning thriller built around the financial crisis. After 12-year-old Jonah visits his trader father at work, he falls under the mentorship of a brilliant but volatile man nicknamed the Baron who introduces him to the underbelly of the financial world. By the time Jonah is 16, he is working for the Baron, traveling from London to New York and Amsterdam. Jonah doesn't realize just how corrupt the people he's working with are until it's nearly too late, and his attempt to learn the truth and save his father forms the bulk of the second-half action. Bennett capably translates financial and technological chicanery for teen readers, conveying the magnetism of stock trading and how it seduces Jonah. Betrayal, hints of espionage, and a rare glimpse into the machinations of an often-clandestine industry should have readers anticipating the next book. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. Agent: Catherine Clarke, Felicity Bryan Associates. (Sept.)