The emotions in The Nine Pound Hammer are truly overpowering: Love, fear, hate, and the magic of true friendship. Protection was a well balanced and important part of the characters; everybody had someone to protect, whether it be themselves, a loved one, or a friend. The writing in this book is powerful and dark with a lot of foreboding, but there is a light of hope shining through the darkness of the words in some cases. My response to The Nine Pound Hammer is very positive. The characters were easy to relate to because each of them had their own feelings and stories. The ending was so very moving that I was brushing away tears. This book is incredible, though I doubt it will make so much progress as to become the next Harry Potter orTwilight. I learned a life lesson from The Nine Pound Hammer: Never give in and never give up. If you keep hoping,things just might turn out the way you want them to. I would strongly recommend this book to kids of all ages, the content is completely appropriate from every vantage point, although I can see a 12 year old reading this book more clearly than a 15 year old. The storyline is also incredible, exiting, and has a magic of its own kind.