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Acceleration

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 2,039 ratings · 359 reviews

It’s a hot, hot summer, and in the depths of the Toronto Transit Authority’s Lost and Found, 17-year-old Duncan is cataloging lost things and sifting through accumulated junk. And between Jacob, the cranky old man who runs the place, and the endless dusty boxes overflowing with stuff no one will ever claim, Duncan’s just about had enough. Then he finds a little leather boo...more

Paperback, 240 pages

Published May 10th 2005 by Laurel Leaf (first published October 14th 2003)

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Jun 07, 2011 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school, why-yes-i-ya, upstairs-neighbors

okay, we are going to get quick and dirty on these teen books because i am reading them more quickly than i can review them and the blank spaces next to them in my book list is likely to drive me maaaaad...

"so - just don't review them", you say.

and i wish i could be that guy.

but my untreated and probably inaccurately self-diagnosed ocd forbids this. everything must be tidy, everything must be remarked-upon, everything in its place now.

so - acceleration.

is a fine book. it takes place in toronto...more

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Dec 18, 2008 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: edgar-awards, mystery-thrillers, favorites, canada

Duncan works in a "lost and found" for the transit authority in Toronto. In a moment of boredom, he picks up a brown leather journal someone left on the train and starts to read. The journal describes acts of arson and other violence and shows newspaper clippings of the events. Reading further, Duncan discovers the author is planning a murder. He goes to the cops but is ignored and decides he must save the murderer's targets.

This book was a "read in one gulp" story. I could not put it down! The...more

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May 08, 2012 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-favorites, awesome-cover, favorite-characters, favorites, really-excited, will-definitely-re-read, mystery

4.5

Wanted to give it 5 stars so bad, yet alas, I can't! There just seemed to be this gap in logic on Duncan's part after the climax occured, and I suppose he has some reasoning for it, but I just don't get it. Won't discuss it yet for the sake of spoilers, but I'll get more into that when I expand my thoughts.

*After thinking thoughtfully about thoughts*

There is only one tiny little paragraph with spoilers. Everything else is SPOILER-FREE.

Now that I've had time to think about the roller coaster...more 4.5

Wanted to give it 5 stars so bad, yet alas, I can't! There just seemed to be this gap in logic on Duncan's part after the climax occured, and I suppose he has some reasoning for it, but I just don't get it. Won't discuss it yet for the sake of spoilers, but I'll get more into that when I expand my thoughts.

*After thinking thoughtfully about thoughts*

There is only one tiny little paragraph with spoilers. Everything else is SPOILER-FREE.

Now that I've had time to think about the roller coaster ride Acceleration took me on, I still feel similarly about what happens. I would highly reccomend it to just about anybody looking for something fast-paced, interesting, well written, rather original, on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of read that can even be humourous! Not Deadly Cool kind of comedy (the murder is being taken more seriously in this book). Just the fact that the awesome characters have personality!

So, we follow our seventeen year old protagonist Duncan, who is working a summer job at the Toronto Transit Lost & Found, and when looking for a lost book to read, he stumbles across a diary containing the messed up psyche of a man who sets fires to buildings, and tortures animals, and later documents said atrocities. Then, Duncan comes across his later entries, where Duncan finds that he's stalking a woman on the train when he's heading home, and that he may be planning on killing her. Taking matters into his own hands along with his sidekick Vinny, they plan on figuring out who wrote the diary, and save the woman's life.

Now, said mystery above is well thought out, with great little facts about serial killers when *le gasp* our heroes use their brains and go the library! I loved learning more about the psyche of serial killers, so that alone was a plus. However, I also found my one complaint in this book during the mystery.

*SPOILERS* So, when Duncan finally stops our possible killer from killing the women he was stalking by almost dying and getting hit by a train, Duncan is in the hospital, recovering from his injuries. Then, he decides to keep the journal information between himself, Wayne, and Vinny. Um, I (kind of) get why you're not telling the police, but how about the women being stalked? If I had been the infatuation of a potential serial killer, I would've liked to know. END OF SPOILERS*

Everything else however, is fantastic. The plot is fast-paced and engaging, the characters are all vivid and 3-D, mystery is well paced and UNPREDICTABLE (a reoccuring problem I find in many YA mysteries - these killers are way too obvious), I couldn't put it down, and the entertainment value is so high!

With Blood Red Road, I gave it 5 stars, but not in the sense that it's amazing and life altering. It's amazing in terms of entertainment value, plotting, and interesting characters but it's not powerful or moving like THG. BBR is the equivalent to Acceleration to me, however I do like BBR more.

Seriously, go out and get this book. There's an e-book, your library and or bookstore - give it some love! Since it's a MUCH older book (October of 2003 - about 8 1/2 years ago!), it clearly doesn't get as much attention as it deserves.(less)

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Feb 20, 2009 Ronda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, mystery, realistic-fiction

Duncan's a 17-year old who lives in "the Jungle", the inner-city of Toronto. During the searing heat-wave of summer, his dead-end summer job in the Toronto Transit Authority's "morgue" (aka: Lost and Found) offers him some respite from the heat, but it doesn't offer him any relief from his nightmares. Or does it? Plagued with nightmares about the drowning girl he couldn't save, Duncan's world takes a CSI-type turn when he finds a journal amongst the "lost treasures" of the morgue--the things lef...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Jane Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense, young-adult-mystery-suspense, 5-star-other

4 ½ stars. I was frequently smiling during this book - which is rare.

There’s mystery wondering if and how they will ever find the psychopath. There’s edge of your seat suspense toward the end. The ending was good for the good guys and bad for the bad guy. This is great for young adults and older. It’s about half the length of a regular novel.

What I found most entertaining were thoughts, dialogue, and actions of three 17-year-old boys. That is why I was smiling so much. One example: when Wayne an...more 4 ½ stars. I was frequently smiling during this book - which is rare.

There’s mystery wondering if and how they will ever find the psychopath. There’s edge of your seat suspense toward the end. The ending was good for the good guys and bad for the bad guy. This is great for young adults and older. It’s about half the length of a regular novel.

What I found most entertaining were thoughts, dialogue, and actions of three 17-year-old boys. That is why I was smiling so much. One example: when Wayne and Duncan go to the local swimming pool their habit is: as soon as they enter, they cannonball jump into the water at the same time in a way to maximize splashing the sunbathers. When they come up and see angry looks glaring at them, they say “sorry.”

I had a few minor complaints.
The book is told in first person by Duncan. One time the author used second person which threw me. Duncan was talking about golf putting and said “I’m getting pretty good at it in case you’re wondering.” By saying “you’re” it added me to the story which did not belong. I did not like the feeling. I’m watching. I’m not supposed to be having a conversation with him.

Some months before the story begins, a girl Mia drowned. Duncan was nearby and felt guilt or something bad. What happened was not described. I wanted to know more.

The same thing with Duncan’s former girlfriend Kim. I wanted to know why they broke up. Just a little, a sentence or two would do.

NARRATOR:
This is a personal preference thing. I don’t enjoy Scott Brick as a narrator. He has an arrogance or too much self confidence that comes through when he reads. I prefer someone like Frank Muller who projects a sense of wonder about what’s going on.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Duncan. Unabridged audiobook length: 5 hrs and 38 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Toronto, Canada. Book copyright: 2003. Genre: mystery suspense, young adult mystery suspense.

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:
I read Bonechiller after this. Gave it 3 stars. Teens would probably like it more than I.(less)

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Jane Stewart Carrie,
That’s a fun question. I’d like to ask you the same thing.
Obviously Goodreads is the first source (comments, reviews, recs). Sometimes it’s Go...more
updated Mar 08, 2013 05:23am

Jane Stewart James,
Ooo, that sounds bad. I’m smiling right now talking to you. I guess I meant “while reading books.” Actually, I think I smile a lot outside of bo...more
Mar 08, 2013 05:23am

Nov 20, 2012 Joseph Halpern rated it 4 of 5 stars

Graham McNamee's book tries to take a different perspective on the serial killer genre much like Jeff Lindsay did with his Dexter books and does a remarkable job. He's generally a YA writer so in this book he tackles young readers fascination with serial killers. A high school student gets a summer job working at the lost & found of the Toronto Transit Commission and finds the journal of a man he believes to be planning a murder. Over the course of the novel him and his friends do everything...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Duncan is a teenager working in a job he hates (lost and found retrieval at the subway). He is bored and feels trapped in the dungeon like environment. Duncan is also trapped in his own thoughts and regrets. A young girl drowned in front of him; he tried to get to her but could not in time. He now suffers from insomnia (his sweltering un-airconditioned apartment in the "Jungle" does not help). Water is also now something he shys away from particularly after hallucinating at the bottom of the poo...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Lamont added it

While reading this book I found it pretty interesting. At first I didn’t think it was my type of book because of the cover I thought it would suck but it turned out to be very interesting and made me just wanting to keep on reading this book. In this book it takes place in Toronto, Canada. The main character is a kid name Duncan. Duncan is a teenager who gets in lots of trouble and does crimes with his friends and has a job at the lost and found. On one of his days at work, he found a diary lyin...more

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Nov 11, 2010 Ali added it

The book acceleration I read was about a teen named Duncan who is a very big trouble maker when he was a teen; It took place in a small town called Toronto Canada. Duncan was mainly one of the most troubled teens I have ever read about and didn’t know how to stay out of trouble. But during of his regular work days working in the lost and found in a city he find a journal that according to him looked very “mysterious” his job Is only to sort things around not go through pockets or diaries. Sure e...more

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Oct 19, 2010 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book I just finished reading is called Acceleration by the author Graham McNamee. The genre of the book is a mystery and it was about a boy named Duncan who found a mysterious book about a serial killer. The books genre is a mystery because throughout the whole book they are trying to find out who the owner of the book it really is. I think the intended audience of the book Acceleration is teenagers, or high schoolers. I think it is meant for that age because it is a shorter story but a pret...more The book I just finished reading is called Acceleration by the author Graham McNamee. The genre of the book is a mystery and it was about a boy named Duncan who found a mysterious book about a serial killer. The books genre is a mystery because throughout the whole book they are trying to find out who the owner of the book it really is. I think the intended audience of the book Acceleration is teenagers, or high schoolers. I think it is meant for that age because it is a shorter story but a pretty long read. Also the book also uses a more advanced brain by knowing what the story is talking about, in other words the book starts of a bit confusing but then all comes together through out the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books that you cant put down because you want to find out whom the book belongs to. I would recommend this book to others because I really liked this book and I think others around my age would also like this book.
The theme of the book Acceleration would be to know what’s right to do at the right time. What I mean by that is make a good decision without regret. The thesis of the book Acceleration would be trust, and a strong friendship.
The book Acceleration starts off slow by Duncan and his friend Jacob digging through old boxes and trash. As Duncan goes through the old boxes he finds an older looking leather notebook. Later on he starts reading the notebook, and shortly after he finds out it belongs to a serial killer. Throughout the book it tells bits and pieces of the diary of the serial killer. About half way through the book Duncan and Wayne start trying to find out whom the book belongs to by becoming detectives and finding clues through the mysterious notebook.
Graham McNamee is an author of four different books, Hate You, Nothing Wrong With The Three-Legged Dog, Sparks, and Acceleration.
If I were to compare Acceleration to any book it would be To Kill A Mocking Bird. They are both in the genre of mystery. In To Kill A Mocking Bird they try to find out if a guy really lives in the creepy house also to see what he looks like. If I had to decide which book I would like better I would choose Acceleration because I couldn’t put down that book and I really liked that book!
Read Acceleration to find out if there is really a serial killer. Also to see if they can find out whom the serial killer is.
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Sep 10, 2010 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It may be cliché, but ACCELERATION by Graham McNamee, is highly suspense-filled roller coaster of a story. Things begin slowly with Duncan, an ordinary teen in an ordinary boring summer job working for an ordinary – if a little suspicious – boss.

The reader soon discovers that Duncan has a nightmare that won’t release him, the memory of a drowning girl he could not save. He also has a daymare: the knowledge that a man who began by experimenting with mice, cats and dogs, now stalks human victims....more It may be cliché, but ACCELERATION by Graham McNamee, is highly suspense-filled roller coaster of a story. Things begin slowly with Duncan, an ordinary teen in an ordinary boring summer job working for an ordinary – if a little suspicious – boss.

The reader soon discovers that Duncan has a nightmare that won’t release him, the memory of a drowning girl he could not save. He also has a daymare: the knowledge that a man who began by experimenting with mice, cats and dogs, now stalks human victims. The killer has his eye on three women, and its only a matter of time before he selects his next prey.

Duncan’s unwanted summer job at the lost-and-found brings perks, an unclaimed prosthesis, a practically new leather jacket, him a book: the diary of a madman. The level of peril rises quickly as Duncan is sent hurtling into the mind of a serial killer in search of a victim. Duncan juggles loving but clueless parents, a girlfriend who has already dropped him because of his over-protectiveness since the drowning incident, and a boss who has his own reasons for wanting to be buried alive in the world of the subway’s lost-and-found. He is assisted by a supporting cast of two very different friends. Vinny, intelligent but reclusive, a disabled youth who intends to laugh-at-myself-before-others-laugh-at-me but who believes in the danger exposed in the diary and wants to help. And Wayne, Duncan’s long-term always-in-trouble-with-the-law best friend, a young man Duncan doesn’t dare share with until it’s almost too late.

When police refuse to believe the diary is anything but a joke, Duncan first tries to find and warn the victims, then is forced to pursue the killer himself. His nightmare and daymare converge when he uncovers the killer’s dungeon. And the killer himself.

The amixture of thriller and light moments and Duncan’s quest to save an innocent life that kept me turning the pages. Teenaged boys will see themselves in Duncan and his supporting cast: Vinny I’ll friend who believes in the diary and wants to help, and friend Wayne who provides the final clue that helps Duncan vanquish the killer, and the demons that have stalked him since the death at the beach(less)

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Jun 16, 2010 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite, must-buy, psycological-thriller, realistic-fiction

There are so many little bits of awesomeness in this book. Like when Duncan uses steam to take off the receipt, and the funny parts sprinkled in (Duncan works at the lost and found for a subway. It's underground.) "Smells like a tomb down here," he says-- his version of hello. "What happened to the old guy?" I point to the ceiling. "Dead?" he asks. "No. Lunch". (pg 29) (Vinny shows Duncan a map he made) "The red dots are for older incidents-- animal mutilations and fires-- the oldest going back...more

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May 30, 2010 Audrey added it

Duncan is spending his summer working in the Dungeon--the Lost and Found of the Toronto Transit Authority. It's a boring job, and he hates being stuck in the dark basement during the sunny summer. Most of the things in the lost and found are pretty basic: wallets, glasses, sports equipment. But one day, he finds a strange diary filled with accounts of animal abuse and arson, and angry rants against women and the daily schedules of three women he's been stalking. Has he already killed one of them...more

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May 25, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a suspenseful thriller perfect for reluctant readers. Here is my booktalk:

Duncan and his friends were busted for attempted burglary—for trying to steal a toilet—yes, a toilet—to sell to one of Duncan’s friend’s uncle who owns a plumbing store. The plan was supposed to be fool-proof: sneak into the warehouse, take a toilet, and earn some easy extra cash. Except, no one figured a toilet was so heavy and no one certainly figured on having to carry that toilet down an entire flight of stairs...more This is a suspenseful thriller perfect for reluctant readers. Here is my booktalk:

Duncan and his friends were busted for attempted burglary—for trying to steal a toilet—yes, a toilet—to sell to one of Duncan’s friend’s uncle who owns a plumbing store. The plan was supposed to be fool-proof: sneak into the warehouse, take a toilet, and earn some easy extra cash. Except, no one figured a toilet was so heavy and no one certainly figured on having to carry that toilet down an entire flight of stairs. When the teens stumble down the stairs, the $600 100 lb toilet takes out a chunk of the wall and sets off the security alarm. Duncan and his friends find themselves arrested and sentenced to tons of community service, which is how Duncan also finds himself working in the dungeon, otherwise known as the Toronto Transit Commission Subway’s lost and found.

Duncan isn’t especially thrilled with his new “job,” but at least he doesn’t have to wear an orange jumpsuit like his friend Wayne does to his job at the Dairy Barn. Duncan’s job is boring—day in and out he sits in the dungeon and waits for people to come in and claim their lost possessions. One day when looking through some of the stacks, Duncan comes across an old diary with a strange leather cover that feels almost like skin. The first part of the diary is filled with stories of animal abuse, torture, and mutilation. The diary entries get more and more twisted as the author writes plans to stalk and kill several women on the train. One entry reads:

"Been hunting. Riding the subway, searching the faces for the right one. All the pretty ladies sitting across from me. It's like an audition. A cattle call."

Duncan thinks he has found the diary of a serial killer.

Duncan knows he can’t go to the police because he already has a record and they probably won’t believe him anyways. For a year Duncan has been haunted by the screams of a drowning girl he couldn’t save. If he could save one woman, just one, he just might be able to make up for not saving that girl last summer. So Duncan decides that he will try to take matters into his own hands to find the killer on the loose. (less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Kelly Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: mystery-thriller, young-adult

4.5

I'll make this short and sweet, just like the novel itself. Plot was introduced around page 7, and from there, the story accelerated to a breakneck pace. Never a dull moment. Story demanded my attention. The characters were great - very refreshing to read a male protagonist's voice for a change. I mean, a real male voice, not one that endlessly rambles about clothes and feelings and whatnot. So yeah, that was a plus. And let's see, a killer is on the loose and time is crunching down till he s...more

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Nov 20, 2010 Evan rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book I read was Acceleration by Graham McNamee. I really liked this book because it is a mystery and I am a fan of most mystery books. This book is about a kid who works in a train station lost and found. One day he is just sitting around because there is nothing going on at that time, so he spends his free time looking around at what kind of items are in the lost and found. He comes around a brown book or diary and starts reading it. When he is reading it he finds some disturbing stuff like...more

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Jan 10, 2009 Bethany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-books, youngadultfiction

This was a really good book. I've been wanting to read this for about a year. Duncan is working at the subway lost and found the summer before his senior of high school. It's cool in the depths of the "morgue" as the room is referred to, and the heat of the summer is swealtering, so Duncan figures he'll make it though the boring days of work. He soon discovers a leather bound diary filled with creepy experiments conducted on animals. Duncan also begins to realize that the writer of the diary is...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Gracemahone rated it 3 of 5 stars

Acceleration by Graham McNamee is about Duncan who works at a train station at the lost and found. He find a book talking about planning to kill someone. First it starts off as animal killing and fires before going into the murder plans. Duncan decides to try and stop the killer by himself. I somewhat liked this book. It wasn't too slow at first but it wasn't bam into the action. The characters were kinda boring like they didn't have much depth. I absolutely hated the end! The killer died and Du...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Dawn (Flit Lit) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Acceleration by Graham McNamee

From Goodreads.com:
“It’s a hot, hot summer, and in the depths of the Toronto Transit Authority’s Lost and Found, 17-year-old Duncan is cataloging lost things and sifting through accumulated junk. And between Jacob, the cranky old man who runs the place, and the endless dusty boxes overflowing with stuff no one will ever claim, Duncan’s just about had enough. Then he finds a little leather book. It’s a diary filled with the dark and dirty secrets of a twisted mind, a...more Acceleration by Graham McNamee

From Goodreads.com:
“It’s a hot, hot summer, and in the depths of the Toronto Transit Authority’s Lost and Found, 17-year-old Duncan is cataloging lost things and sifting through accumulated junk. And between Jacob, the cranky old man who runs the place, and the endless dusty boxes overflowing with stuff no one will ever claim, Duncan’s just about had enough. Then he finds a little leather book. It’s a diary filled with the dark and dirty secrets of a twisted mind, a serial killer stalking his prey in the subway. And Duncan can’t make himself stop reading.

What would you do with a book like that? How far would you go to catch a madman?

And what if time was running out. . . .”

Duncan is an average kid living an average life in a blue collar section of Toronto. He takes a summer job working in the lost and found (aka “The Morgue”) of the subway. There he finds a diary and decides to read it.

Once he realizes it is the diary of a serial killer in training Duncan doesn’t know what to do. He tries to take it to the police, who ignore him. He decides to try to find out who “Roach” (the nickname he gives the diary’s author) is and what is his next move. He enlists first the help of his friend Vinnie. Vinnie is smart and soon figures out where “Roach” feels most comfortable. That is where he is likely to strike, or so Vinnie believes because of all the books he has read.

Wayne is Duncan’s oldest friend. They grew up in “the jungle” (the nickname of the housing complex where all three live) together. Wayne is a petty criminal and is working at a fast food place for the summer. Wayne and Vinnie don’t get along so Duncan ends up working first with Vinnie and then with Wayne to solve this mystery.

It isn’t the most realistic mystery ever. How many teenage boys would actually stalk a serial killer, and then break into his house (with his deaf grandmother in the living room)? It is a compelling story though. I wanted Duncan to catch “Roach”.

Each character had his good qualities and his flaws. Vinnie has a deformed arm and hand and is super sensitive about it. He is smart but cautious. Wayne is not the sharpest knife in the drawer but he is street savvy and that comes in handy when Duncan decides to break into “Roach’s” house. Duncan is plagued by a drowning death he witnessed and was unable to save the girl. He is looking for some sort of redemption.

I listened to the audio CD of this book. The reader did an excellent job of setting the tone and the mood. I would recommend this book to teen boys but I think girls will enjoy it too. It is, as many mysteries are, fairly predictable but an entertaining read.(less)

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Dec 10, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reads-of-2010, ya-and-childrens-lit, mystery-and-suspense, read-from-library

I was skeptical of picking up this book, but I was hooked from page one. The book is full of humor even though the subject matter is dark and mysterious. Duncan's humor reminded me a lot of myself. I instantly saw myself in Duncan on page four. He is talking about the unusual items they receive in the subway's lost and found. Duncan says, "There's a worn down blue men's Puma running shoe, and it's obviously been well used. It always gets me wondering-how do you lose something like that? I mean,...more

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May 23, 2010 Collin rated it 4 of 5 stars

What would you do if found the diary of a serial killer? Well that’s exactly what happens in Graham Mc Namee’s book Acceleration. A 17 year old boy Duncan was working in the lost and found of a subway station when he finds such a diary. As soon as he starts reading he gets sucked into a mystery him and his two friends try to solve by themselves.
One thing I find very interesting about this book is all the mystery. It is everywhere in this book. There are so many examples that it would make your...more What would you do if found the diary of a serial killer? Well that’s exactly what happens in Graham Mc Namee’s book Acceleration. A 17 year old boy Duncan was working in the lost and found of a subway station when he finds such a diary. As soon as he starts reading he gets sucked into a mystery him and his two friends try to solve by themselves.
One thing I find very interesting about this book is all the mystery. It is everywhere in this book. There are so many examples that it would make your head spin such as: Who is Roach? Did he really commit all those crimes? Who is the red head and is Roach really going to kill her? If so why? These are just some of the many many mysteries in Acceleration that the author created for his readers try to solve until the end when most questions are answered.
Another point that I liked about this book kind of ties in with the first one. Is the freedom to solve this mystery without limits or restrictions. Most other mysteries have mental restrictions that are caused by evidence which this mystery has little of. Due to that fact in this book your mind is free to wander
Another thing I liked about this story is the main character Duncan. One reason I like Duncan is because he is a very well constructed character. The fact that Duncan is juvenile delinquent has a huge affect on the story. In fact this is why he wanted to solve the mystery. Even though it took him a while to realize it, he was trying to make up for past sins. Even though some people say this book has too slow of a start. I think it does have a slow start as well, I think it is a necessary one. Without this slow start we wouldn’t have all this information about Duncan and his friends.
In conclusion I give this book four out of five stars. I give it this score because I love the mystery and action in this book. On the other hand though it does have a very slow start even though it does serve a propose, but I still don’t like it. If you liked this book i would also recomend Rag in the Bone Shop by Robert Cormier
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Aug 01, 2012 Jackson Radish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen, mystery

I actually loved this book! I don't read a lot of mysteries and I'm not sure why but I loved it.

The story takes place in Toronto which was cool since I'm about a month away from moving there and really sweet on Toronto right now. The main character works in the lost and found of the TTC which actually ends up being the coolest setting ever for a mystery. When he finds this really creepy journal some guy lost on the train and realizes that this guy is a budding serial killer and information leadi...more

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Mar 15, 2011 George Zervo added it

“I don’t know about this guy. He is one of the strangest people I know!!” Acceleration is about seventeen year old Duncan working in Toronto’s subway lost and found finding a psycho serial killer’s diary. Duncan is now on a wild goose chase trying to find “roach” as he calls him. Graham McNamee’s Acceleration was a seat gluer the whole way through.
McNamee’s style is a style that I personally enjoy very much. He has a style that I think is like Steven King and I really enjoy books that have th...more
“I don’t know about this guy. He is one of the strangest people I know!!” Acceleration is about seventeen year old Duncan working in Toronto’s subway lost and found finding a psycho serial killer’s diary. Duncan is now on a wild goose chase trying to find “roach” as he calls him. Graham McNamee’s Acceleration was a seat gluer the whole way through.
McNamee’s style is a style that I personally enjoy very much. He has a style that I think is like Steven King and I really enjoy books that have that suspense and mystery. His style is expressed throughout the story and it gives it a good mood and is set beautifully. McNamee’s voice in this book is one that screams out to you to read this book and continue to read it. His style is a very unique and favored by many people including me. It is different from other books I have read.
Acceleration’s setting is a very interesting one. Toronto, Canada was an excellent choice because it a huge city, and it gives Duncan a challenge, as opposed to a smaller city with not as big of a challenge. The setting is a great example of a city in our world. The author also does a fantastic job of making me feel like I am a part of the story. If I close my eyes, I picture the book going through like a movie. The story takes place mostly in a gloomy, dark, and noisy subway station. The stench of rats and garbage fills the air, choking you. It is dark 90% of the time, not being able to see the light of day. I would really hate to be in Duncan’s place. In my opinion, that would be the worse job ever.
This book can be compared to another book I’ve read. The book is called Cirque du Freak. In that book too, the main character finds something unusual and is motivated to find out everything there is. Both characters are then messed up in crazy situations. If I were in Duncan’s place, I too would totally adventure out and get to the bottom of whatever is going on. I think finding the solution to things is one of the greatest feelings you can posses. Solving problems in general is a really good skill to have no matter what the situation may be. I can make many connections through his book.
Overall… I would give this book a 5 star rating. Acceleration really earned it. I think everything from the cover, to the last page was phenomenal!! Graham McNamee… I take my hat off to you. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Steven King and mystery books. This is an excellent book overall. Well done Mr. McNamee.

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Dec 01, 2010 Ethan Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 19, 2010 Brianna Allen added it

Acceleration Review

This book Acceleration by Graham McNamee is a very interesting book. It is a boring start at first in a regular old lost and found. I believe that it has a fascinating twist and I don’t think you will get it at first. In the beginning the journal was irritating because it was only about cats but it was a weird start. Soon it got into the story and went slowly into the action. It was a very action packed book toward the end and it’s fine that someone found the journal. I think...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Krista rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book I read was Acceleration by: Graham McNamee this book is a mystery book, full of suspense. This book is about a 17 year old boy named Duncan who works in a train station and he was looking through the lost and found and saw this journal, it didn't have a spine or anything it was just a normal notebook. So he starts to read it and he can't put it down, it's about murders. This book scares him and keeps messing up his life. Read the book to find out what happens next.

The book was interesti...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Stevecrandell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, mystery, grades-8-and-up

Great suspense, but very hard to believe. 17-year-old Duncan is stuck in a dead-end summer job in Toronto. He finds what appears to be a psychopath’s journal, with descriptions of past arsons, as well as plans for deadly assaults against women. Duncan is convinced it’s his destiny to stop the would-be killer. It’s hard to imagine many readers who would immediately agree.

McNamee drops in plenty of internal monologues and a few side plots to help justify Duncan’s vigilante behavior. At one point...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 13-15 year olds

Recommended to Beverly by: Kirkus Reviews

Shelves: good-reads-for-reluctant-readers

Acceleration has a perfect setting for a suspenseful, creepy mystery - the subway system lost and found. Reluctant narrator, 17 year old Duncan, is spending his summer as a clerk in the lost and found. Suffering some PTSD from witnessing an accidental death, at first Duncan found peace in the loneliness and tedious tasks of his his job, but after several weeks, he is so bored he is ready to quit until he stumbles upon a personal journal. Duncan starts to read the journal and as the entries becom...more

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May 22, 2012 04katey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookreport

I was looking for a book at the library and ask the librarian what book she would recommend, she asked "do you like a mysterious thriller?" I replied yes and she told me to read the book Acceleraion By Graham McNamee. As soon as I started to read the first page I was already into this book. I love how exciting it is and how unexspected this are in the book. Even thought some of the things that happen in this book would most likely would not happen in real life it is still fun to read and gets yo...more I was looking for a book at the library and ask the librarian what book she would recommend, she asked "do you like a mysterious thriller?" I replied yes and she told me to read the book Acceleraion By Graham McNamee. As soon as I started to read the first page I was already into this book. I love how exciting it is and how unexspected this are in the book. Even thought some of the things that happen in this book would most likely would not happen in real life it is still fun to read and gets you to trun the page. The only disapointment I have about this book was it was way too short, it's only about 280 pages and because how much you get into the book you could read it in a day and a half.

The main issue or problem is that Duncan finds a pre-killers journal explaining how and who(based on appearance)he was going to kill. Duncam has to find this maniac before it is too late.

seventeen year old,Duncan is looking for an activity that will take up his free time in the summer, when he lands a job at the lost and found in the Toronto Transit subway station. Bored out of his mind, with no friendly faces or much of any faces at all, Duncan finds himself lurking in the lost an found box. He later finds a book with no title. Duncan had found lots of book but this one was different. On the outside of this book it was a ordinary, plain book but on the inside there was some thing scary and noway, shape or form was just ordinary. This book was someones sick plane to kill not only one person but three. It was a diary of a per-killer. At frist Duncan does not believe it, maybe its a prank or a joke, there is no way it could be real, but it is.

Should he go to the police, should he turn this crazy man murder plan book to his boss? who should he tell? Should he tell any one at all? These were the questions that flew into his mind once he figered out that this was indeed not a joke. Duncan desides to keep it to himslef and maybe tell his friends,Vinny and Wayne.

The theme of this book that I would give would be Sometimes curiosity could kill a cat but sometimes it can save one too. (Cat referring to anythin; human,cat, dog, animal,ect.)

I would recmmend this book to anyone who enjoys exciting, mysterious page turners.
Although this book can have some prety far fretched chapters it is still way good to read and fun. (less)

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Oct 05, 2010 Matt Peitso rated it 4 of 5 stars

Acceleration By Graham McNamee. Type of book mystery subject of this book is trying to stop something bad from happening to people.

What do I think what the purpose was for Acceleration? Well I think that the author was trying to keep you guessing till the very end with all the misleading clues and false hopes to end the mystery. The book affected on how you can look at people some can be nice but some look so normal that there just might be something wrong about them. Some of the things that ch...more

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About Graham McNamee

Graham McNamee. Male. Caucasian. 5'10". Brown hair. Brown eyes. Do not approach. Extremely shy.

Author of: HATE YOU, NOTHING WRONG WITH A THREE-LEGGED DOG, SPARKS, and ACCELERATION. HATE YOU was an ALA Best Book for young Adults and an ALA Quick Pick, won the Austrian Children's Book Award, and was nominated for the Governor General's Award. SPARKS won the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellows...more

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“Some people you can't be friends with, not when you've been something more. ” — 9 people liked it

“... we [can] catch fish and just throw them back... it [doesn't] seem to hurt the fish much past a cut lip. But then... one [may] swallow the hook...[it'd be] a goner, whether we tried to pull it out or just cut the line. Because once you've swallowed the hook, there's no losing it. Me, I've swallowed it big time. ” — 2 people liked it

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