Being by Kevin Brooks

Robert Smith, 16, was scheduled for a routine endoscopy at a local hospital. When doctors inserted the tube into his mouth, however, and lowered it into his gastrointestinal tract, they couldn't believe what they saw. This shock discovery sparks a mind-boggling series of events in which Robert escapes from the hospital, is falsely accused of murder, befriends a counterfeit artist, and in the process constantly asks himself if he is human at all.

This book has an intriguing premise and started with a lot of potential. While clearly meant for young adults, (large parts of the book are written in a style that is specifically geared towards teenagers), I was caught up in the story and was very intrigued during the first two-thirds.

Unfortunately, in the final-third of the novel, the story loses focus and the ending was a complete cop out. It's possible to imagine Kevin Brooks defending the end of the book by saying it's an unconventional finish to an unconventional novel. I would disagree. My take is that this book started with a great idea, but then lost its ability to work it out. Which is too bad, because I was quite excited about the book until the last 80-pages or so. My impression is that Brooks is a solid author who simply crashed into a creative wall while looking to finish this novel.

2 out of 5 stars