I lucked into a copy of William Bell's The Blue Helmet and thought I would give it a look the other day. I planned to review this one down the line, maybe as a war book or teen violence book - I'm not really sure. I could not put it down though - seriously - and it proved itself to be an amazing coming-of-age story that is perfect for next month's column. I am so glad I was able to get it (it's only out in Canada right now) and I really hope it gets picked up by a US publisher next year. This book is wonderful, pure and simple, and a perfect choice for teen boys in particular (and how often do you hear me say that?!)

Lee is in trouble - lots of it - and at the beginning of the book he's in the back seat of a police car after his initiation into a local gang goes astray. He ends up being sent by his father to live with an aunt and also must work in her diner. A high school dropout with nothing to do but get into fights and argue with his Dad, Lee seemed very honestly and true to me - he read like a lot of young men who are at odds with themselves and the world and one mistake away from getting into serious trouble.

The book takes a turn when Lee starts delivering food for his aunt and then picks up a few more delivery jobs on the side. That's how he meets Cutter, a brilliant and wealthy young recluse who is dangerously close to falling victim to his paranoid delusions. The mystery behind what made Cutter the man he is does not reveal itself until after a tragedy and Lee must enlist a lot of detecting skills to get to the bottom of his friend's story. This is when the "blue helmet" of the title takes center stage, because it turns out that Cutter was UN peacekeeper in the Balkans and what he was part of there destroyed him - it destroyed everything he ever believed in.

I can not recall a single YA book about the UN or peackeepers that has ever been published in the US (help me out if you know one) and I was very attracted to this story because of that. The paradox of being taxed to keep peace in countries committed to war is impossible to understand and what living with that paradox does to the soldiers under the blue helmet is a large part of what propels the second part of Bell's book. But it's also about Lee's violent past and why he feels compelled to embrace violence. It is only when he learns just what violence really is - what the reality of war is like - that he feels compelled to rethink his whole life. He realizes that unlike Cutter the peacekeeper in war, Lee has a choice how to live his life - he doesn't have to fight in order to survive. It's a powerful lesson and a well thought out one and the way in which Bell shares it with his readers is just brilliant.

I write a lot positive reviews, but I don't write a lot of "best book of the year" type entries. But The Blue Helmet - this is one of the best books I've ever read, period. It's YA, so don't expect Heart of Darkness (although that is mentioned in the story) but do expect to read the work of an author who understands that teens are old enough to know what violence and peace really mean and writes to them on a level that commands respect. This is the kind of book that could change the way reades think - could change their lives in fact. And I don't read too many books capable of doing that - I don't read too many books that matter in this very important way.

The Blue Helmet - it's worth the shipping charges from Amazon Canada. If you know a young man getting into trouble, then it's worth every penny you spend.