Shelter

"Fresh Meat" by Laura K. Curtis for Criminal Element

There’s not much that can tempt me to read a young adult novel. But I’ll read anything Harlan Coben writes, so I put aside my qualms and snatched Shelter up as soon as I could get my greedy little hands on it.

Shelter introduces Mickey Bolitar (nephew of Coben’s series protagonist, Myron Bolitar), and his two friends, Spoon and Ema (that’s Eema, like the feminine version of “emo.”) Although it does have a certain amount of the YA angst that can make me antsy, it is generously leavened with trademark Coben humor.

(Read the rest at http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2011/08/fresh-meat-harlan-cobens-shelter )

Bolitar for teens? How did I not know about this?!

OK! I was a little leery, this is a YA book and it has a one word title and I have learned to stay away from one word titles. This is my first Harlan Cohen book and now I am a big fan! Shelter by Harlan Coben exceeded my expectations. The ingredients of this mystery, suspense, fascinating characters, danger, action and underlying meanings are mixed well and baked into a can’t put down gripping thriller. The violence was not to the point of turning your stomach but just enough to keep the action going.

It has a sophomore, Mickey Bolitar; an intelligent boy with an unusual childhood, his father dead and his mother is a drug addict. It has Ema, overweight, friendless until now, dressed in black with black painted fingernails and tattoos becoming friends with Mickey. It has Spoon, a kid harboring a reservoir of trivia and great timing. In modified Nancy Drew style, this group takes very scary risks! The trio is out to solve first one mystery and then a whole mess of tangled mysteries that even connect with Mickey’s father and mother.

The bonus to this book is the witty dialogue and characters that once you have met them you have to find out what happens to them next. I am very lucky because I have the sequel, Seconds Away. Now all I have to do is find it!

I highly recommend Shelter to young adults and beyond.

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Reading Progress

12/17

page 304

99.0%

"I am finished."

12/17

page 304

99.0%

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Copy/paste the text below into your blog. Shelter by Harlan Coben

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


OK! I was a little leery, this is a YA book and it has a one word title and I have learned to stay away from one word titles. This is my first Harlan Cohen book and now I am a big fan! Shelter by Harlan Coben exceeded my expectations. The ingredients of this mystery, suspense, fascinating characters, danger, action and underlying meanings are mixed well and baked into a can’t put down gripping thriller. The violence was not to the point of turning your stomach but just enough to keep the action going.

It has a sophomore, Mickey Bolitar; an intelligent boy with an unusual childhood, his father dead and his mother is a drug addict. It has Ema, overweight, friendless until now, dressed in black with black painted fingernails and tattoos becoming friends with Mickey. It has Spoon, a kid harboring a reservoir of trivia and great timing. In modified Nancy Drew style, this group takes very scary risks! The trio is out to solve first one mystery and then a whole mess of tangled mysteries that even connect with Mickey’s father and mother.

The bonus to this book is the witty dialogue and characters that once you have met them you have to find out what happens to them next. I am very lucky because I have the sequel, Seconds Away. Now all I have to do is find it!

I highly recommend Shelter to young adults and beyond.





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I really enjoyed this book, especially the last line of the book -you know this series will continue. I would not recommend this book to anyone under 14 - there are some adult "situations" that I don't think a younger individual should be exposed to. ( )

I loved, loved, loved this book for about the first half. It was exciting to read a book that had all the right elements to recommend to kids in my middle school classes. A compelling mystery right from page 1...a quasi-abandoned high school kid who has to cope with a mother in rehab and an annoying guardian uncle...just the right snarky, sarcastic tone...spot on put-downs of school and miserable teachers...a refreshing female sidekick who is the antithesis of all thing girlie...what's not to like? Well, then the whole specter of kidnapping girls for the sex trade shows up. That does it. Won't be recommending this to anyone in my classes. However, I did enjoy the author's descriptive powers and the laser accuracy with which he depicts the social order in school. A crackling plot and that mysterious father situation are nicely played. Just so sad it took a detour into the strip club/kidnapping zone. ( )