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“Have you ever known an evil person to drink herbal tea?”

That is just one of the interesting and hilarious questions our hero, momentarily known as Wendy Lockheart, a seventeen year old teen assassin, pauses to ponder as her crazy fireball of a life bursts its way forward, – her energy a white-hot murderous flame she will casually point in the direction of each and any of the “evil” targets identified as her victims.

Raised from birth by the “agency” (with a small “a”, as after all, large “A” would be just too banal), Wendy revels in her anonymity, her extraordinary talent for killing, and her brisk no-nonsense attitude to the act itself – killing on demand and with nary a second look back, as directed by her mysterious commanders.

With instructions received through saliva-activated hieroglyphics embedded on special sticks of the obnoxiously-packaged “Wonder Rush bubblegum” – and a new identity activated as each assignment is completed, Wendy’s life is unconventional yet at the same time, somewhat predictable- until, all of a sudden, it isn’t.

“What do you do when you have spent your entire life, since birth, being trained for a single purpose? What happens once you’re old enough to question things. Is it too late? Has the die been cast?”

For Wendy, (now Harper), the questions, all of a sudden, cannot be avoided, as her life careens off-track into new and totally uncharted waters.

As wittily tongue-in-cheek as it is horrifically violent, this one-of-a-kind killing romp is a clever and engaging coming-of-age tale that tackles big morality questions head-on.

• With her first kill imposed on her at the tender age of eleven years old, who is ultimately responsible for her “moral” development and her actions?
• Is Wendy-Harper doomed to the destiny imposed on her by her psychological conditioning, or can she somehow “use her past to make her future (and the future of her fellow-assassins) better”?
• Which color of “Wonder Rush Happy Funtime Bubblegum” really is the best flavor? (My vote is strawberry).

Without giving the plot away (no spoilers here), you will have to read this book to find out more.

Readers of YA, fans of “Dexter”, and anyone who enjoys a good murderous romp will find “Wonder Rush” a dark delight – (and don’t be surprised if you find yourself chuckling at the oddest moments).

A great big thank you to the author for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.