How would it be to have to start all over again, to have everything you know erased? That’s what happens to Ty and his mother after he bears witness to a crime that may have cost someone their lives. But he can’t talk about it. He doesn’t want to talk about it.

By not talking, he has to follow the strict orders of the police and enter into the witness protection program. He and his mom abandon their lives in London — leaving his grandmother and assorted other relatives — and move away.

He’s no longer Ty, the shy and “weak” guy. He’s now Joe, a guy who is confident, popular, athletic and . . . a catch to many of the girls in school. As if being witness to something atrocious wasn’t enough, he has to learn to navigate new waters when it comes to high school and relationships. And let’s just say that one of these girls has a secret of her own, and he may be the only person who knows.

When I Was Joe is a thriller in the true sense: it’s nonstop and relentless in pacing, moving quickly but purposefully toward a powerful ending. As the jack flap copy notes, this story delves into issues of identity and justice, and I could not help but be reminded of Gail Giles’s Right Behind You. I mentioned on GoodReads prior to starting this that the premises sounded so similar, but when I got to reading, they are actually almost exact inverses of one another. For Joe, this is a story of surviviorship, for making it through witnessing something horribly unjust and living with the consequences every day. Right Behind You is a story of hidden identity, too, but told through the eyes of the criminal himself.

This is a swift book, one that could easily be read in one sitting. Ty is a likeable and sympathetic character and one whose complexity unravels at every page. In building a new life for himself, the old haunts him constantly, and it is no thanks to his unstable mother he never feels safe or secure.

David’s book is set in Britain, but as an American reader, I never once felt like a foreigner. The slight differences in language use and mannerisms does not detract from my reading. I found the writing itself is tight and focused as a good thriller should be. We know just enough characters and just enough about each to feel satisfied in the conclusion.

If you’re looking for a good “guy” book to pass on, this may fit the bill. Fans of Giles will find a lot to enjoy here, as will fans of a good action-packed story. For me, it was the witness protection program hook that reeled me in and ultimately left me a satisfied reader.