Title: The Samaritan
Author: Fred Venturini
Publisher: Blank Slate Press
Publication Date: Feb 2011
Classification: Adult Fiction

Summary from Goodreads:
Dale Sampson lives in isolation, hiding a super-human gift that could change the course of human history–a gift he believes he doesn’t deserve. He is unemployed and unmotivated–a fractured friendship, love lost, and the tragedies of childhood have locked him in place.  Empty days tick away until a chance encounter with a woman from his past sets in motion one last shot at redemption and love–a spiral of small-town violence that will end a thousand miles away, with his flesh as the battleground, and millions will tune in to watch . . .

Johnny’s Thoughts:
After reading such a compelling series ala the Maze Runner series, I thought I would sit back and read something entertaining and light. Entertaining, yes. Light…hardly. This book was, for lack of a better word, F’d up….AND I LOVED IT FOR THAT SPECIFIC REASON! I love dark comedy. Something about it just tickles me in a way that is almost alarming to others. The unfortunate mishaps of others seem to make me chuckle just as a baby laughs from farting in a bathtub. The Samaritan is a dark and twisted story that is also humourous and very philosophical. How can a life truly be measured and what is it worth? I personally loved the witty banter between Dale and Mack. They seemed to go back and forth in a way which reminded me of my high school years with my buddies. Through thick and thin, they stuck together with one another even if they were quite the odd pairing; Dale the quiet and reserved type whilst Mack is the hit-it-and-quit-it jock. They mesh on levels which make this book seem more human than most. They are not a match for each other but they make it work. Dale is one of my favorite characters this year because he is so depressing. However, he discusses his own thoughts of suicide with a humourously dry tone. He is such an odd character because of his ‘gift’ as it were. It make him unique and it also makes him very much of a sad story. I could not help but feel sorry for him on some level. The story of the twins also seemed to further his case of being someone that you just want to hand a beer to and hug it out with. He is ruined but seems to make life work for himself, even if he just wants to call it a life and bite a bullet. Some people might liken this book to the works of Chuck Pahlaniuk and rightfully so as their style is very much alike. This story is as much about the characters as it is a reflection of society as a whole. Social commentary at its finest, complete with a lot of gore and swearing. And a television audience. What more could a person ask for?

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