This book is a pretty quick read. It started off very slow for me, but there was something about it that kept me just interested enough that I didn't abandon it. There were some quirky things going on that held out real promise. I was halfway through before it really hooked me, though. Once there, it was quite interesting.I'd give the last part of the book 4 stars, but it was somewhat rushed - too little, too late to really make the book a good one. The main character finally develops into a person that I could begin to identify with. Until that time, part of the problem was that I really didn't care about anyone or anything in the book. A mild distaste for all involved was my prevailing emotion. So 1 star to the first half for almost turning me off. By the end of the book, I was hoping for more, though. This is a book about animal rights & the ethical treatment of animals. There wasn't anything in the book that I didn't already know nor was the discussion of the morality of our civilization new to me. Still, it sneaks up on the subject in an unexpected way. 3 stars for the overall theme.The characters were neat. They were different, not cookie cutter good & bad guys, but quirky individuals who were trying to get by & their morals were as confused as most people. I thought they could have been fleshed out better. Too much is 'told' about them as they're introduced, not developed into the story. The central character develops from a real loser into someone who will make it a little too fast & far for me.The POV is interesting, but also had a big flaw, IMO. It's told from one kid's POV & he says that after it was all over, he could fill in a lot of what happened by his research into the matter. I found that unbelievable on a couple of levels. Without writing a spoiler, I can't discuss it, so I'll just say I had to suspend my belief on this point & it was OK. Still, it could have been handled better, I think.It was an interesting read, but I won't be keeping it to read again. I doubt anyone else in the family will be interested in reading it, either. The book was hyped to me, I think mostly because of the Animal Rights angle - not reason enough, IMO. It's OK & I think 3 stars overall is as generous as I can be. 2.5 is closer to the mark. ( )

Imagine your name is Lem Altick, you have just graduated high school and you're out selling encyclopedias trying to earn enough money to send yourself to Columbia University, it's been a long day of knocking on doors at the trailer park while the hot Florida summer sun beats on your back, you've been talking for hours to get the couple sitting across the table from you to the point where they are writing you a check for the deposit. Then an assassin walks in the door behind you and shoots both of your customers in the forehead. The assassin doesn't put a bullet in you as you might expect. Evidently it's an assassin with ethical standards, standards which evidently don't extend to not manufacturing evidence to convict you of murder if you become a problem. Imagine then that your problems have only just begun.

With an eccentric assortment of characters including corrupt cops and crack dealing encyclopedia salesmen, numerous plot twists, and a mix of pro-veganism/animal rights themes stirred into the pot, the Ethical Assassin is a diverting summer read with some genuinely funny bits. There were a couple of bits of the novel that I didn't think worked very well, one being a minor sub-plot about a creepy pedophile. My biggest problem was the novel’s conclusion on “why we send criminals to prison". It’s mentioned no less than three times as if it was of thematic importance, yet it would have been a better book if it had never been mentioned at all. I didn’t agree with it and I couldn’t connect it with the events of the novel.

On the balance however, the book is engaging and entertaining. Everything works to provide a fun and darkly-comic ride. ( )

A young teenager, selling encyclopedias door to door, gets caught up in assassination, drug sales, and animal abuse. In spite of murder and mayhem, this is a very funny book. The assassin turns out to be a very committed animal rights activist and gives a compelling defense for his actions. This book could turn you into a vegan! I really enjoyed it. ( )

If Carl Hiaasen books irritate the hell out of you, this is not the book for you. (I just cannot stand getting moral lectures from assassins/terrorists.) I sorta knew this going in, so it was hard going at times.

The protagonist (who is NOT the assassin) is wonderful, and has the witty banter you expect from David Liss. It was great to see that Liss can write a coming-of-age story - not everyone can write a convincing and likable teenager. ( )

I thought this was a fun book in spite of the serious subject matter (primarily animal abuse and organized crime, with a few other things on the side). There's just something bizarre and funny about a door-to-door encyclopedia sales kid getting commandeered by an assassin.

Once or twice I felt like the author was putting the story on hold for the animal rights discussions, though, rather than working them in more smoothly.

I had trouble getting very attached to the characters. I wouldn't quite go so far as to say they were flat or lifeless, but they were missing a certain something.

Overall, I liked it well enough, although I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. ( )