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The Unknown Assassin is a series of Young Adult novels written by Allen Zadoff. The books were initially published under the name Boy Nobody. But the title was changed to Unknown Assassin.
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Order of Boy Nobody / Unknown Assassin Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boy Nobody / I Am the Weapon | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | I Am the Mission | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | I Am the Traitor | 2015 | Description / Buy |
Allen Zadoff, the author, is deeply steeped in young adult fiction. That is his area of expertise and every series of novels he has produced in that particular genre seems to strike a chord with readers.
Born in Boston Massachusetts, Allen’s career began with his training at the Institute for Advanced Theater at Harvard University. He also spent some time with the Warner Brothers Comedy Writers Workshop and it shows, with the author having been commended on a number of occasions for the humor in his books.
The Unknown Assassin series, one of his more popular creations, tells the story of a character known as Boy Nobody. Boy Nobody was supposed to be the perfect assassin.
An organization called The Program took his parents from him and then immersed him in a training regimen that stripped his emotions away, making Boy Nobody a cold, merciless, unthinking soldier.
A combatant that could murder strangers and walk away without any emotional baggage, a teenager whose non-existent name and history allowed him to assimilate into any situation.
By the events of I Am the Weapon, the first book in the Unknown Assassin series, Boy Nobody has crafted a seemingly foolproof strategy. The protagonist is always the new kid in school.
He shows up in a new town, under a new name. His personality is such that people never give him a second thought. He always makes new friends within the social or relational circle of his target.
And it isn’t long before Boy Nobody leaves town. By then, a death has occurred, a death that is imputed to natural causes. No one ever asks any questions and Boy Nobody isn’t around to give any answers because, by then, he has already disappeared, moving on to his next target.
Boy Nobody’s life only begins to change when he is tasked with killing the Mayor of New York City. He meets a girl who shakes his world. He begins to question his life and worldview.
Memories that he thought were lost slowly trickle back to the forefront. Before long, Boy Nobody finds that he is no longer the perfect soldier. He is starting to feel actual emotions. And that is pushing him to question The Program, a development that puts him in immense danger.
These books stand out because they avoid the typical tropes of the young adult genre.
The Unknown Assassin Awards
I Am the Weapon has been nominated for Gateway Readers, Volunteer State Book, and Thriller Awards. The title has also won a Kentucky Bluegrass Award.
Best Unknown Assassin Books
The Unknown Assassin series sits apart from its young adult counterparts because of Allen Zadoff’s ability to write fresh and witty teenage characters, with some of the best books in the series including:
Boy Nobody: In this book, Boy Nobody must kill the Mayor of New York. That is the assignment his handlers have given him. And Boy Nobody is more than up to the task. He has done this before. He is always the new kid in a new town at a new school.
Using a new name, he gets ingratiated into his target’s social circle, uses his new friends to carry out his assassinations and then quickly disappears. The Mayor of New York proves to be quite the challenge, though.
Boy Nobody knows how to charm people. But his target’s daughter seems to see right through his games. And as she begins to prod him, something stirs inside Boy Nobody, something that might get him killed.
I Am the Mission: Boy Nobody has a new target. Eugene Moore owns an extremist training camp for teenagers and he must die. The mission sounds simple enough. And despite the fact that a previous operative attempted it and died as a result, Boy Nobody is confident.
But then things go wrong and Boy Nobody finds himself questioning his allegiances.
Other Book Series You May Like
The “Track” Series by Jason Reynolds is another great read. These books tell the stories of four kids from wildly varying backgrounds who must overcome personal challenges to achieve success as runners on the race track.
You may also enjoy the “Mark of the Thief” Series by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Nic is a slave in the mines of Rome. When he discovers an amulet that grants him power from the gods, Nic realizes that he might hold the key to stopping the deadly Praetor War.
What Is The Next Book in The Boy Nobody / Unknown Assassin Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Boy Nobody / Unknown Assassin Series. The newest book is I Am the Traitor and was released on June, 4th 2015.