Bob Bachner’s fast-paced novel tells the story of a boy who vows to kill his father for abandoning him and his mother. Moving from a small Hudson Valley town to New York City, he confronts innumerable obstacles on his quest to fulfill that vow. Struggling against the legendary hardships of the megalopolis, he grows from a recognizable American innocent into a resourceful and highly intelligent young man. Through the intimate voice of this new American hero, readers will remember their own, earlier pledges to get even. Killing Jack Armstrong is an engaging novel of an unusual coming of age.