The Thin Executioner (Quest, Friendship)

Book Title: The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan

Topic:  Quest, Friendship

Thoughts: A little The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. . . a little the Odyssey.  

One of my students (J. M.) kept telling me I should read this book.  He kept telling me it is the BEST book he has read.  He has borrowed several books from me and I told him, I'll read it if he loans it to me. Opening his backpack, he pulled it out and handed it to me.

I didn't figure out until I was over half way through the book, that a map of the land Jebel travels through is in the front of the book.  I wish I hadn't known because flipping back to the map just made it awkward for me.

My son asked me what the book was about when I first began reading it to me and when I read from the back cover "suicide cults," he asked me what those are.  Because I was not that far into Jebel's journey, I told him they must be a cult who commits suicide.  Even though I despise Qasar Bint and am repulsed by him, I found this adventure to be my favorite part.  What is your favorite part?

Scrawny Jebel is a disgrace to his burly father, the executioner of Wadi, and when his father announces his retirement, Jebel decides to go on a quest to Sabbah Eid to obtain immortality.  He must take a slave with him to sacrifice, thus the Huckleberry Finn connection, and he travels over distant lands and meets frauds, beasts, people who live in harmony with nature, the death god (not like the blind prophet Tieriesas, but traveling to the underworld), and sadistic cannibals on this quest.

Thanks, J.M, for helping me realize the meaning of the names Bush and Blair.  My brain kept telling me those names have significance, but the light bulb did not click until you said them together.  When you read the book see if you see the meaning of those names.

Jebel is thin on his knowledge of the world and people before his adventure but after his odyssey he decides to execute his new found knowledge to make peace with himself.