Book Style: May 2014

It's no secret that I'm kind of, okay REALLY, obsessed with Shane Kuhn's debut novel, The Intern's Handbook. I even interviewed him for the Ship's (B)log - An Interview with Shane Kuhn. Here's my offical review:

It’s easy to tell that Shane Kuhn has a background in movies, from the very first page his debut novel has the perfect pacing and delicate balance between humor and action that sends crowds flocking to the theaters every summer. The Handbook is, resident anti-hero, John Lago’s gift to the newer recruits at HR, Incorporated. HR, Inc. is a corporate staffing agency specializing in placing interns at some of the best corporations across the country. At least that’s what they tell the government. In reality John Lago is one of many highly trained assassins who are scooped off the streets as troubled children and groomed to infiltrate and eliminate. This is a record of Lago’s final assignment, as he approaches the ripe old age of 25 when an unpaid intern goes from being invisible to highly noticeable, before he is retired. While Lago intends his Handbook to be a learn-by-example training guide for the fresh blood at HR, Inc. it ends up doubling as an intense look at a man trying to fight his way out of a hopeless situation while attempting to keep his emotional walls high and impenetrable. Lago’s surety in his own prowess and his actual talent for survival are the perfect cross between cocky James Bond and psychologically scarred Jason Bourne. The Intern’s Handbook is a noteworthy twist on the spy thriller genre that had me at times laughing out loud and other times frantically ripping through the pages, barely breathing, rooting for John Lago to survive.

I really couldn't decide whether to make a spy outfit or a lawyer/intern outfit... so I did both! I'll highlight some plot-pertinent touches for both of them.

Lawyer