"Purpose," by Andrew Q. Gordon

[Ulysses]

Andrew Q. Gordon's "The Purpose" is a strange book. Strange not in its writing - which is quickly-paced and capable - but in its premise. The idea of a mysterious entity possessing an unwilling human and forcing him to avenge the deaths of innocents - and then forty years later helping him find the very person he needs to revive his humanity - is as original a concept as I've ever read.

I liked both Will and Ryan a great deal; I enjoyed the dynamic of their relationship (talk about awkward ways to begin a romance!) and the way their evolving understanding of the Purpose forced them to adapt.

The story is by turns creepy and exciting, and always romantic without being soppy. It makes us question our own notions of justice and vengeance and the potential for cruelty that dwells in all of us.