Doesn’t everybody wake up in the morning and instantly think about school, sports, relationship problems, their missing family, how to run from psychopaths, and their family’s involvement with the Mafia? In T.M. Goeglein’s first Young Adult novel, Cold Fury, he brings together the everyday troubles of teenage life, and the action packed life of a girl who is in search of her family.

Sara Jane Rispoli is a tough girl who obsesses over boxing, but never had to worry about anything besides school and her next fight until her family disappeared. Sara Jane has to fight for her life with only a dog that hates her and her heavyset, anti-violent best friend. She has additional problems like the unfortunate fact that the boy she is in love with doesn’t seem to have mutual feelings, and her deceiving uncle, which might sound trivial after her near death experiences.

Goeglein has a backwards way of telling a story, yet he is gifted in the art of imagery when it comes to bone crunching, knuckle cracking, and the inevitable deadly blows that happen throughout this novel. Sara Jane has a wry sense of humor that contributes to her mysterious personality, and more than likely came from her love of classic movies. I’m talking old-school, black and white, grainy movies.

Sara Jane wouldn’t be Sara Jane without her recently founded knowledge of the Mafia (now called the Outfit). Goeglein brings organized crime to life through Sara Jane’s many adventures and mistakes. Many people don’t understand the complexity of writing a novel, but Cold Fury proves that it isn’t a walk in the park (excuse my cliche). Goeglein sure did his research. Al Capone, Alcatraz, Chicago subways, arrests, etc. It’s all there in a cryptic, leatherbound notebook for Sara Jane to find and either embrace or run from, but I can’t tell you anymore without ruining everything.

Cold Fury is a must read. Who would’ve thought that a sixteen-year-old girl would have to fight to save the only life she has ever known…on her sixteenth birthday. Did I mention that?