Infinite Satellite

Summary: The YA edition of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer describes the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln, the assassination, and for the most part, the hunt to capture John Wilkes Booth and his gang of co-conspirators.

Verdict: A short, exciting read.

Yay!: A great entry in the category of non-fiction that reads like fiction, Swanson's reconstruction of events is a page-turner. Unlike many YA adaptations of adult non-fiction, the book never feels like something was left out or thinned down too much. The plot switches between the hunted assassin and the dying president, holding onto the connection between the two storylines, and also details other assassination attempts usually left out of the history books. Rather than focusing on the dry facts, the author tries to inject emotion by imagining how the participants must have felt, with some degree of success.

Nay!: Sometimes the book goes over the top with the dramatics and the lionization of Lincoln. Yes, assassinating a president is a bad idea. Got it!