It all starts with a boring book. Two teenage boys are in trouble for a prank they pulled which included said boring book in the spotlight. This book they were assigned to read in school isn’t the only boring book in this story though, and what begins as a school project as penance for their prank turns out to be a key to something deadly, in more ways than one.

Initially The Project was just okay. The subject was not super exciting, but it was alright. Then you discover it was all just to set things up when a major transition occurs that makes it a lot more interesting and even intense at times. Just as you’re getting into it, there’s another shift that makes the story even more engaging and you almost can’t turn the pages fast enough. Among the suspense Falkner adds a little humor, and don’t miss the flying toilet! One of the best things about the book was that the two main characters were so real and will be relatable to a large audience. You are either like these boys or you’re friends with someone who is. Entertaining both male and female audiences, The Project earns high marks!

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Random House

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 3 mild obscenities; 1 scatalogical word; 1 anatomical term; 1 offensive hand gesture.

Violence/Gore:  Few (6) brief incidents including character being threatened with a gun; thinking a character was murdered; reading about war and suicide in a book; two characters getting punched; character getting sprayed with mace or something similar; characters getting shot at; seeing aftermath of bombing from war. One extended incident of bombing and characters getting shot at during war.

Sex/Nudity:  Few (2) incidents including mention of a nude man on the cover of a book (The Vetruvian Man); teenage boys joking about their teacher being naked and previously being a stripper.

Mature Subject Matter:

Kidnapping; Crime (stealing, breaking & entering, looting)

Alcohol / Drug Use:

People drinking beer at a restaurant.