Review: Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Pages: 224
Publisher: Orion Books
Published: April 23rd, 2010
IBSN: 9781444000054

1910. A cabin north of the Arctic Circle. Fifteen-year-old Sig Andersson is alone. Alone, except for the corpse of his father, who died earlier that day after falling through a weak spot on the ice-covered lake. His sister, Anna, and step-mother, Nadya, have gone to the local town for help. Then comes a knock at the door. It's a man, the flash of a revolver's butt at his hip, and a mean glare in his eyes. Sig has never seen him before but Wolff claims to have unfinished business with his father. As Sig gradually learns the awful truth about Wolff's connection to his father, Sig finds his thoughts drawn to a certain box hidden on a shelf in the storeroom, in which lies his father's prized possession - a revolver. When Anna returns alone, and Wolff begins to close in, Sigs choice is pulled into sharp focus. Should he use the gun, or not?

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

Revolver is a book that's both fast and slow: it took me just a few hours to read, but the pacing was slow (but the good kind of slow!). The events of the book span just a few days with little dialogue and a lot of tension.

What I really loved about this book was all the thought Sig put into what he was going to have to do. I've read so many action/thriller books where an antagonist is killed without thought. Sig spent a long time considering all the implications of shooting Wolff.

The prose was spare and captivating, and everything from Sig's emotions to the previous events that led up to the climax was explored in depth.


The final chapter put the events of the book into perspective, and gave a view on the events of the book from an older Sig.

I give Revolver a 5 out of 5. I recommend it for anyone looking for a short, intense read.