Nickel Plated was definitely a lot different than anything I've read lately. Nickel is the type of character that only comes along once in a while, because he's a little bit tough to love. In fact it took me a few chapters to really get into who he was, but once I was invested in him I learned a lot. He's self-sufficient and has financial freedom that most people my age dream about. On top of that he is so multi-faceted. A hard kid on the exterior, but a lost little boy who just is looking for something to hold onto on the interior.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book other than that I enjoyed it. It's a different kind of read because I was following Nickel on his money making ventures and sleuthing most of the time. He's a great kid. Granted he often uses people for money, but he does some really touching things in this book to help other people out as well. Watching him lead his own life was really fascinating. Nickel has to fly under the radar to stay out the foster care system. To say he is a smart kid is an understatement.

The point is that I enjoyed this book, but I also think that it wasn't really for me at this time. I'm kind of torn between enjoying Nickel and feeling like he was kind of a hard character to love. I see that he has to act like an adult because that's the situation that he's been put in, however he just felt so tough sometimes. It's a hard read for sure. I really just wanted to give him a hug. This book contains some tough subjects, as well as some "colorful" language. Perhaps it just wasn't the right time for me to read it.

I'm going to keep this on my pile and pick it up again in a bit, but for now I'm going to give a middle of the road rating. I liked Nickel, I liked his story, I think my mind just wasn't in the right place to really appreciate this book. ( )

Nickel is a twelve year old runaway who’s gone underground. He escaped the foster care system two years earlier, after years of abuse, and now he’s on his own. Now, if there’s a job you need done, whether it’s spreading counterfeit money or tracking down your son, he’s your guy. Carefully camouflaged as a typical kid, he’s rarely noticed. A survivor, he’s observant, paranoid and well-armed. He’s a risk taker, with no compunction about blowing up a telephone pole with a pipe bomb if he thinks it will get him the information he needs. Nickel also sells pot and blackmails pedophiles to pay the bills. Since he has this money to support himself, he can take on the case when Arrow asks him to search for her missing sister. For Nickel, rescuing other kids from bad situations, and especially sexual predators close to him. He has taken the name Nickel as a tribute to fellow victims Eleanor and Nick.

Nickel Plated gets into dark territory. Child pornography, chatting up pedophiles, kidnapping and selling children. The author leaves quite a bit unsaid- we can guess, but don’t know for sure, exactly what happened with Nickel before he finally escaped foster care, because he’s never able to fully talk about it. And there is no real happy ending. While it can be awfully hard to sympathize with Nickel who sometimes needs a motherly hug. Unusual, thought-provoking, and horrifying at times,

While the book was a little over the top, I did like the James Bondness of the story. At times my heart raced as Nick's life was threatened as he tried to save the innocents.

Highly recommended! ( )

Outstanding.

Okay, no twelve year old can really do all this, but suspend your disbelief and this is a great read. So good, I'm looking for a sequel...or six. Since Nickel is young, he surely has a lot more adventures to come. If you like Flavia De Luce, you will love Nickel. ( )

☊ This gets 4 stars as a rounding off; the audio presentation was 5 stars and very well done, which brings it up. The story was more like 3 stars, brought up in part because of Nickel's mission in life.

Nickel is a young boy who has runaway from an abusive foster care situation involving child pornography and abuse, although the little reveals through the book end up revealing virtually nothing. He makes money by selling marijuana via Gary, a high school student who shows up briefly in the sequel, and by various scams and private investigative work. No one knows he's so young until they meet him, so this isn't particularly believable.

Early in the book Nickel is hired by Arrow, a girl of about 14, who doesn't think the police know what they are doing. Nickel works for virtually nothing for this sort of case and takes it on; the other cases he is working on in the book pivot around this one. They are a money laundering scam, selling pot and helping a mother figure out what is going on with her teen son, Jeff.

This story is a fun young adult listen; not brilliant, but in this book I find Nickel a character I can like overall, despite his illegal activities, and it's easy to empathize with Arrow and hope for the best for her missing sister, Shelby. ( )

Nickel Plated was a great book, mystery, suspense and deals with intense issues. This is good for reluctant readers, males, and mature audiences.