Review: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

Gripping YA Crime Thriller - Recommended!

This novel absolutely had me from the first page to the very end. If sharply written and keenly observed YA thrillers appeal to you at all, you should read this. Presented using a range of different viewpoints and even different text types, this novel keeps you guessing right to the last sentence.

I really enjoyed the writing style. Featuring chapters in different voices (helpfully headed with the character name to avoid confusion) and occasional different texts interspersed between chapters - newspaper clips, police transcripts, notes and even a fortune cookie fortune - the novel circles around the fact of Kayla's abduction, tantalising and teasing us.

The book tells the story of the effects of a teenage girl's abduction on her colleagues and friends from Pete's Pizza. After she fails to return from a delivery, her colleague Drew reports her missing and the hunt begins.

Drew is a great character and I enjoyed seeing his development through the novel. He was the one who took the abductor's order - naturally assuming it was a normal order - and is wracked with guilt trying to remember useful details to help the police. At the same time, his colleague Gabie is also tortured by the knowledge that the abductor asked for her - the girl in the Mini - on a night she'd switched shifts with Kayla.

The multiple narration is a clear strength of the book, allowing us to see the effects of the crime on a range of characters, and to be constantly shifted around. Reading this novel is a bit like peering into the story through different doors and windows, catching various angles of the action. Drew and Gabie's voices are the dominant ones, but we do also get chapters from the abductor's viewpoint and from Kayla's as well as the other texts, providing plenty of variety in terms of voice.

All in all, I'd say that this is a very successful thriller and would absolutely recommend it. My resident teen has made off with my copy pretty sharpish - usually a good sign.

From the back cover

Gabie delivers pizzas part-time.

She also drives a Mini Cooper.

One night, Kayla, another delivery girl at Pete's Pizza, goes out with an order and never comes back. Gabie learns that the man who called in the fake pizza order had asked for the girl in the Mini Cooper.

Was Kayla's fate really meant for Gabie?

*********************

Published in April 2013 by Walker Books

For more info, visit the publisher's site

My grateful thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy

Review: Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff

A thrilling ride! Slick assassin novel for the YA market

This was a great read, gobbled up quickly. I found myself drawn in, holding my breath at various key points.

The narration has a breathless quality, being first person present tense and quite spare in style. There are no superfluous descriptions. There is nothing flowery or ornate about the writing. It's just matter of fact, precise, cool - which gels perfectly with the character of a trained assassin. Interestingly, although there is a certain coolness and distance to the voice, it's easy to engage with him and root for him.

Boy Nobody is a teen assassin, working for a shadowy agency. Through the course of the novel, via flashbacks, we learn something of his past: his appointment, his training, but there is still clearly a lot we don't know about him (perhaps in future books we'll learn more?). The novel introduces us to his life and submerses us into the experience of a particular engagement. The more I learnt of his background, the more he had my sympathy, despite his morally questionable way of life. The novel makes clear that, for all the black and white thinking - and lack of questioning - he's trained for, life is all about the greys and I think the novel would make a great class reader for some interesting debates on morality and responsibility.

That said, it's first and foremost a great read, and teens will enjoy it. Although it's about the life of an assassin, it isn't gory and it does prompt moral debate, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to teens of all ages.

From the author's website:

BOY NOBODY
HE IS NOTHING. THE MISSION IS EVERYTHING.

They needed the perfect soldier: one who could function in every situation without fear, sympathy or anger; who could assassinate strangers and then walk away emotionally unscathed. So they made Boy Nobody-a teen with no name or history. The perfect soldier.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die — of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, and moves on to the next target.

But when he's assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter seems so much like him; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, the Program is watching. Because somewhere, deep inside Boy Nobody, is somebody: the kid he once was, the teen who wants normal things like a real home and parents, a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission.

****************

Published 23 May by Orchard

Find more info at Goodreads

My grateful thanks to the publishers for the amazing proof pack they sent me (note: this has not influenced my review, despite its undeniable fabulosity)

Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Fabulously tense YA thriller: a compelling tale of extreme emotions. 

I really enjoyed this suspenseful read, whipping through the pages to find out what was happening, only to find more uncertainties and twists as the book went on (but don't worry, all is resolved and clear by the end).

Mallory goes away to a fancy prep school to get away from her home town, where everyone knows she stabbed her boyfriend and - although she is not in trouble legally - she is plagued by threats and gossip. What her parents don't know is that she is literally haunted by that night's events, hearing noises and feeling a presence every night as she tries to sleep, and of course, you can't dodge ghosts as easily as you can real people. The stakes are raised when there is a death at her new school and, naturally, everyone has by then found out enough of Mallory's secret for her name to be the subject of gossip once more.

The narration is first person and past tense, giving us a very close-up view of Mallory under extreme stress and barely sleeping. It's great to see an unreliable narrator being used to great effect in a YA novel, and Mallory's inability to be certain about the truth of events is an effective way to add to the novel's tension. Information about 'that night' is drip fed as Mallory's memories return through her creepy nightly reliving of events, in which she gets closer and closer to the actual stabbing each time. The haunting element is genuinely scary. It isn't long before Mallory's physical sensations of being grabbed are resulting in bruises and we're left wondering whether her lack of sleep has supernatural, psychological or physical causes: is she haunted by a particularly dangerous ghost that can hurt her? is she losing her mind? is someone living doing this to her for some kind of revenge or punishment? The mystery element is delivered perfectly and I changed my mind several times about what I thought was 'really' happening: just as it should be.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this for YA readers looking for a thriller that keeps you guessing to the end.

From the blurb:

Mallory's life is falling apart.

Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear...

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips.

Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

***************
Published 14 February by Bloomsbury Children's
Find out more at Goodreads
My grateful thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy

Review: The Day I Met Suzie by Chris Higgins

Tense YA thriller focused on friendship, identity and trust 

I was gripped from the start by this fabulous teen thriller exploring trust, identity and friendship. Chris Higgins controls the tension perfectly, ratcheting it up gradually with hints and clues.

The novel is narrated directly by Indie, initially through the device of a telephone call to The Samaritans. Clearly this tells us that the situation is extreme, and since Indie has been asked to start at the beginning, we are given all the little clues that Indie can see far more clearly with the benefit of hindsight. I loved the little touches of Indie's interaction with the Samaritan - this definitely helped both to add to the realism and to increase the tension by delaying the plot developments.

Being older than your average YA reader :), the blurb and premise of this novel reminded me of the film Single White Female, and it stands up well to the comparison, while also having a few surprises of its own. It's clear from the start that Suzie has done something to cause big trouble for Indie, effectively stealing her life out from under her. Please note that this is not a spoiler - a key part of the tension is that we know this from the blurb and Indie's opening comments to the Samaritan, and are scrabbling to try to piece together how it all happened, and to see where it will go. The novel is structured perfectly to amp up the tension and propel us towards the climax and conclusion.

Indie's character is adorable and I love that she doesn't lose her openness and loving nature, despite the mess she finds herself in. Her boyfriend, Rick, is a great and realistic character too, as are her friends, especially Mel. Both Mel and Rick are suspicious of Suzie, which she is able to use against them and to help her to get closer to Indie. Suzie is an amazing character - it's hard not to admire her, even while you know she's conniving and cunning.

Overall, I would readily recommend this to anyone looking for an exciting teen read. Chris Higgins ekes out the drama beautifully, making this a delight.

From Goodreads:

'My boyfriend could get into trouble if he gets caught. He could go to jail.' I moan softly. 'So could I.' 'Anything you tell me is completely confidential.' I sigh deeply. What have I got to lose? 'I wouldn't know where to begin.' 'At the beginning?' she says. 'In your own words.' So that's what I do. I start at the beginning like she says. The day I met Suzie.

Indigo (Indie) rings the Samaritans. She is frightened and desperate with no one to turn to. Over the course of one long night, Indie tells her story to the person on the end of the phone. She realises that her friend Suzie has taken over her home, her friends, her work, her boyfriend - and her life. After every few chapters we are brought back to the present moment, and see how piecing the story together helps Indie progress towards resolution

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Published March 7 by Hodder

Find more information on Goodreads

My grateful thanks to the publisher for providing me with a proof copy for review

Review: Vortex by Julie Cross

Second in the YA Time Travel Thriller Series

If you haven't read Tempest, the first in this fab series, I'd suggest you go and read my review of that instead of carrying on here. This review will have spoilers for the first in the series (but not for this title).

This second instalment really ups the pace, with Jackson now working as an agent. He faces considerable challenges since he has to keep his time travelling abilities secret, so all the others assume he's a spoilt kid who hasn't earned his place in the unit. Jenni Stewart's presence in the team, along with her memories of babysitting him but without her 2007 memories of working with him, doesn't help his acceptance into the group at all.

I know that some readers - especially those who saw Tempest as primarily a romance - have found this instalment too big a departure from the first novel. Having enjoyed Tempest as a time travel thriller with romance driving the emotional heart of the plot, I enjoyed this second novel greatly. It focuses considerably more than the first on the time travel and attendant conspiracies, and it rattles along at a breathtaking speed, earning it the 'thriller' label even more than book one. Jackson's love for Holly still affects him deeply, even while her knowledge of him doesn't include their relationship, and the fact that she crops up in his life again shows that there is clearly some 'destiny' or 'fate' angle that I expect will be wrapped up somehow in the third book. It's hard to see how, though, with Vortex closing in such an unexpected way (on which subject, no more will be said except I'm in awe of the ending: the characters are set up nicely for book three, and yet it didn't feel like one of those cliffhanger endings where you feel cheated).

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It is different in emphasis to the first novel, but I felt this was positive and developed the overall story well. I still love Jackson and think that Julie Cross is very cruel to him, and I also enjoyed some of the new characters in this novel. Kendrick, for example, is a brilliantly complex and sympathetic character. I ached for her desperate attempts to keep a part of her life 'normal' even while being a secret agent investigating time travel.

My final verdict, then, is that this is a great read, with plenty of excitement, suspense and time travel complexity. I will definitely be looking to read the next part as soon as it's available.

The blurb says:

TODAY

Jackson has lost Holly forever

TOMORROW 

She walks back into his life

YESTERDAY

Jackson must choose between saving her ... or the entire world

The eye of the storm is a deadly place to be...

Jackson Meyer has completed his training to become an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. As a time-traveller himself he's on his way to becoming the best of the best. However, everything changes when Holly - the girl he altered history to save - re-enters his life, and Jackson must make an impossible choice: erase the past or change the future?

**********************

Published 3 January 2013 by Macmillan

Find more information at Goodreads

My grateful thanks to the publishers for sending a review copy

Review: Seconds Away by Harlan Coben

Gripping YA crime thriller from a master writer 

This is the second in Coben's YA series focused on Mickey Bolitar, nephew of his main adult character, Myron Bolitar. The first in the series was the fabulous Shelter, and this follow-up is just as good. As always, since this is a review for a sequel, there may be spoilers for the first book in the series here - please look away if you haven't read it yet!

The novel's action picks up from where Shelter leaves off, and takes us deeper into the mystery and conspiracies that were beginning to be unpicked in the first novel. At the end of Shelter, Mickey received some startling news, which naturally he investigates in this instalment, along with other new mysteries that crop up. The shadowy figure of The Bat Lady still hovers and the truth about the Abeona Shelter is clearly going to be a long-running plot thread, which the teens do unravel a bit further here. At the centre of the plot is another death: this time Rachel, who helped to save Ashley in Shelter, is shot along with her mother.

A key strength of both books is the characterisation. I challenge you to read this and not be sucked in and rooting for Mickey, Ema and Spoon! Their determination to do the right thing, and their schemes to sneak around and investigate are endearing and brilliantly drawn. Ema remains delightfully intractable and yet both brave and dependable, while Spoon's dorkiness knows no bounds. Mickey's inability to ignore injustice continues to drive the plot and inspire them all to plunge further and further into the murk that surrounds them.

Overall, this is a great read, which completes a new mystery and takes us further in the overarching mystery of the Abeona Shelter. I can't wait to see what Mickey and co will uncover next!

The blurb says:

This action-packed second book in international bestseller Harlan Coben’s Mickey Bolitar young adult series follows Mickey as he continues to hunt for clues about the Abeona Shelter and the mysterious death of his father—all while trying to navigate the challenges of a new high school.

When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey and his loyal new friends—sharp-witted Ema and the adorkably charming Spoon—find themselves at the center of a terrifying mystery involving the shooting of their classmate Rachel. Now, not only does Mickey need to keep himself and his friends safe from the Butcher of Lodz, but he needs to figure out who shot Rachel—no matter what it takes.

Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, but with danger just seconds away, it is going to take all of his determination and help from his friends to protect the people he loves, even if he does not know who—or what—he is protecting them from.

*********************************

Published Nov 2012 by Indigo

Find out more at the publisher's website

My grateful thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review

Review: Tempest by Julie Cross

YA time travel thriller 

Can Jackson save Holly? That's the big question in this fab twisty thriller. The plot centres on a nineteen year old who's just trying to methodically test out and understand his time travelling abilities when along comes disaster and he finds himself stranded in the past, knowing his girlfriend is injured in the present.

This is a greatly enjoyable read. I love Jackson! We get his story first hand through first person past tense narration with occasional entries from his journal (in which he records the results of his experimental jumps through time). His voice is fresh, chatty and believable and he's essentially a good guy who just wants to understand what's happening to him and to save his beloved Holly.  I also enjoyed the fact that romance drives the story, in that Jackson is motivated by the desire to save Holly, but this is much more a quest plot than a romance one in the end.

Holly herself is a great character too - interesting in her own right, and it's cool to see her in both the past and the present through Jackson's eyes. I think that Julie Cross captures the weirdness of this really well. Seeing Jackson interacting with people he knows in the present but who don't know him in the past makes for entertaining reading, and occasional moments of levity.

The first person narration makes it easy for us to be gradually given the rules of Jackson's time travelling, as he figures them out. These are well thought through and make the thriller aspects of the novel tense and exciting. I can't wait to find out more in the rest of the trilogy, and to see whether and how Jackson's abilities develop.

I feel that the pace is a strength of this one. As a thriller, it needs - and delivers - high octane action, but this is tempered and thrown into relief by a lot of the quieter, more 'human' moments. Jackson clearly genuinely loves Holly and some of his family interactions also make for emotionally intense writing. These moments help to round Jackson out as a character, as well as ensuring that the pace of the novel is varied enough to have impact.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this to teens (and adults) who enjoy thrillers, are intrigued by the time travel angle and moved by epic love stories.

The blurb says:

TODAY

Jackson and Holly are in love.

TOMORROW 

she will lie bleeding in his arms.

YESTERDAY

Jackson must undo it all.

Jackson has a secret - he can jump into his own past. But when a shocking event propels him further back in time than he has ever been before - he finds he can't return.

Now Jackson has to find a way to save the girl he loves before they have even met, and time is not on his side...

**********************

Published 2012 by Macmillan

Find more information at Goodreads

My grateful thanks to the publishers for sending a review copy

Review: Hold On by Alan Gibbons

Tense YA thiller with themes of bullying and suicide 

This short novel packs a real emotional punch. Using a first person present tense narrator - Annie, alongside diary extracts and the occasional poem written by John, her friend who committed suicide, there is a stifling closeness to the book. Just as Annie cannot 'get over it' or 'move on', we are locked in with her and want justice for John just as much as she does. The two voices also contrast beautifully, reflecting the two personalities: Annie's narration is crisp and sharp, while John's voice is lyrical and emotional.

The book opens at the beginning of a new school year, with John having committed suicide in the summer. Annie has been overseas for a year, during which time she met up with John by chance, and she is now returning to school, determined to seek justice. His story is gradually revealed through his diary, which Annie snatches the chance to read at his house.

Annie is a great character - loyal, determined, outraged on her friend's behalf. Her certainty that John's killers (as she sees them) must be recognised as such and punished drives her to be bold and to break some of the unwritten rules of high school. Her absolute conviction that John's death was effectively murder doesn't seem to be shared by others and it is clear from the start that if she wants to resume a normal high school existence, she will have to give up her crusade and just fit in, like everyone else. The fact that one of John's bullies - the most popular boys in the year - shows an interest in Annie cranks up the tension another notch.

I am sure that many teens will enjoy this book, and that it will provoke many to consider its themes in more depth. It would be a great class read, as there are so many opportunities for a probing 'what would you do?' discussion, or to discuss concepts such as guilt and responsibility. The circumstances of John's bullying, of his death, and of Annie's campaign are absolutely convincing and realistic. Teen readers will have no problems imagining that this could happen in their school, unfortunately.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to teens and up. This is a book that should be in every secondary school library.

The blurb says:

Glass breaks because it is fragile.

You don't blame the glass for breaking.

A heart breaks because it is fragile.

So why blame the heart for breaking?

Why blame me?

John Sorrel

I won't be afraid anymore. I won't beg. I won't plead. I won't hurt. I will be strong. This will the the last time that I cry.

But a month later John commits suicide.After a chance meeting with him on holiday in Florida, Annie feels she's on the edge of being John's friend. She didn't realise she was his lifeline. Now she vows to uncover the truth about John's short life. This is his story - a story of our times.

*************************************

Published 2012 by Orion

Find more information on the publisher's website

My grateful thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Engaging and exciting dystopian YA set in an oxygen-deprived world

I was excited to read this, despite there being so many dystopias around now, and I wasn't disappointed. Controlling oxygen seems such an absolute way to keep control of the people and, as with all good dystopias, there is a clear hierarchy and social control through people knowing their place and being unable to break out of it. There is also clear danger at all times, ensuring that we are gripped and committed to finding out where it will all end.

The novel is told through three different and converging perspectives: Alina, a rebel, who opens the novel with "Breathing is a right, not a privilege, so I'm stealing it back". Her voice is lively and strong from the outset, as she prepares to take action. Bea comes next, an Auxiliary (i.e. second-class citizen) who is bold and clever. The final voice we follow is Quinn's - a Premium who has a lot of privilege in the novel's world and isn't always aware of this. The narration is all first person present tense, which works well for this kind of novel, creating uncertainty and tension and removing the possibility of hindsight. We are pulled along with the characters on their adventure and it's never quite certain who will survive or succeed.

Having two female and one male protagonists is effective in offering different perspectives and likely to widen the novel's appeal. There is a degree of romance but never as more than a sub-plot - survival and rebellion are far more important ideas here, which feels realistic despite the novel's extreme scenario. Sarah Crossan writes with an emotional and psychological realism which makes the story compelling, and allowing the novel to effectively combine being an entertaining read and raising questions about commitment, bravery and privilege.

The pace of the novel is a key strength. Although Sarah Crossan has created a world that is in many ways entirely unfamiliar, she succeeds in conveying the oddities of this world without heavy exposition or backstory. In some cases, we find out the society's history along with the characters, but always in a way that works with the plot and feels natural. This is book one in a trilogy, and I will definitely be taking the first opportunity to read the next book, as the ending of this one raises the stakes even higher and leaves you wondering what on earth can happen next (yet without leaving you unsatisfied and feeling cheated, as series books can sometimes).

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this to YA readers (who don't have to actually be young adults, of course) who enjoy dystopian novels and/or thrillers. I think those who aren't necessarily keen dystopian fans will enjoy this too, as it is such a good example of the genre.

From the Back Cover:

Years after the Switch, life inside the Pod has moved on. A poor Auxiliary class cannot afford the oxygen tax which supplies extra air for running, dancing and sports. The rich Premiums, by contrast, are healthy and strong. Anyone who opposes the regime is labelled a terrorist and ejected from the Pod to die.

Sixteen-year-old Alina is part of the secret resistance, but when a mission goes wrong she is forced to escape from the Pod. With only two days of oxygen in her tank, she too faces the terrifying prospect of death by suffocation. Her only hope is to find the mythical Grove, a small enclave of trees protected by a hardcore band of rebels. Does it even exist, and if so, what or who are they protecting the trees from?

A dystopian thriller about courage and freedom, with a love story at its heart.

****************************

Published in October by Bloomsbury

My grateful thanks to the publishers for providing a review copy

Check out the Breathe page at Bloomsbury for more information or go to Amazon UK

Thrilling Thursday Review: Righteous Exposure by A K James

Strongly individual thriller with a powerful theme of justice and morality.

Title: Righteous Exposure
Author: A K James
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Crooked Cat
Published: 14 Feb 2012

Source: purchased on my Kindle

Find it at Amazon UK or Goodreads

The blurb says:
Revenge, retribution and redemption.

Doctor Alita Ramirez has achieved hard won goals, despite her humble beginnings from a poor Hispanic neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas. When she by chance discovers the truth about her past, she is driven to take drastic action. Alita is prepared to jeopardize everything, even her life, to expose the hypocrisy and cruelty of one man – Robson Cutter.

One of the richest men in San Antonio, Cutter is a pillar of his community. Alita’s quest is to reduce this pillar to dust. She knows a dark secret about Cutter that will bring him to his knees, but exposing the past of such a powerful man requires extreme measures. Will Alita have the strength and determination to succeed?

My verdict: a twisty thriller with an unusual quest

This debut novel packs a serious punch. With well-drawn characters and a plot that really ramps up the pressure, I was highly reluctant to put it down. My kids always know I'm reading a good one if I'm unwilling to put it down to stir and poke at dinner, and this was definitely the case here. Alita's central plan requires some suspension of disbelief, but it isn't too hard to believe a woman under the pressures she faces could come up with such a crazy idea. And then, as one thing after another threatens to undermine that not-so-brilliantly-constructed plan, you can't help but root for Alita.

At the same time, and cued by the title, the reader is invited to consider how 'righteous' Alita's actions are. Cutter lives a dreadful life, but does that mean Alita's actions are justified? It's always a good sign when a book leads you to think more broadly, to consider its morals and messages, and this novel certainly ticks that box.

I enjoyed the writing style, particularly the initial knitting of past and present to help us understand Alita's background and her current circumstances. There are plenty of well-placed hints that help to raise the tension level, as we can see people closing in on Alita, but there are also sufficient red herrings and dead ends that the eventual conclusion of the plot did not disappoint.

Overall, I'd recommend this as an engaging and unusual thriller.