Kerry Wilkinson (1) (1980–)

I always enjoy Kerry Wilkinson’s books. Interesting characters and psychological thrillers that slowly build to an exciting end. In this one, Olivia Adams went missing over 13 years ago at the age of 6. Despite an extensive police search, no trace of her was ever found. As the book opens, we see her reappear in the café where her mother works. Her parents are convinced it’s her. Others aren’t as sure. This novel has an interesting structure as unlike many kidnapping novels, it takes show more place entirely in the future timeline, rather than any of the action taking place when the actual kidnapping occurred, so we’re really seeing the effects thirteen years and the devastation of Olivia’s disappearance have caused on her family and the town as a whole. We also have the POV of Lily, who lost her mother at a young age and lives with her father. The question is… how do these two stories intersect? Some plot points I guessed early on, but there were still plenty of surprises! I liked the way that as the narrative slowly unfolded, the characters developed in surprising ways.

Trigger warnings: sexual abuse

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

I was fully prepared not to enjoy this book. The publisher was kind enough to provide multiple copies for my book group at the school where I work (11-14yrs) so I settled down to read it alongside them. Within a few chapters I was dismissing it as a hybrid of The Hunger Games and Divergent but as I read on it became much more than that. Like Philip Pullman the author has created a world that is very familiar and at the same time very alien. It was kind of medieval high tech and it worked. show more Silver is a great character and I look forward to learning more about her in the next book. The plot had the right mix of action and suspense and although there was violence/sex it was inferred rather than graphically described which for me is perfect in a YA novel.
Almost to the end this was a five star read and then he went and spoiled it. It's a first person narration. That means we see through the narrators eyes, feel what they feel and experience the story with them. If a plot twist is used it has to be a twist for the narrator as well. Having travelled Silver's journey with her suddenly as readers we are kept in the dark, lied to, misled. It made me mistrust everything that had gone before. I don't mind unreliable narrators but this was just with-holding information in order to create a plot twist. It jarred, spoiled the ending for me and disrupted the sense of being immersed in the story that I had felt up to then. I will read the next book but I really hope the author doesn't do this again.
I had taken two stars off but my book group nagged me to put one back on as they loved it and as the book is aimed at their age group, they win. show less

I absolutely loved the way in which "Ten Birthdays" manages to tell both a large and small story. Or maybe that it weaves a broad tapestry made up of what could otherwise seem tiny, perhaps insignificant scenes. But put together they form something warm and heartbreaking and magical.

We watch poppy grow from her late teens into early adulthood, see the way that friendships and relationships grow closer and sometimes further apart, and chronicle her journeys of young adulthood, all woven show more together by a dingle letter each year penned by her mother for her to open on each of her birthdayd. And this could have been very sad, but it isn't. Through the letters we watch Poppy's mother complete a sort of journey, too, one that feels very satisfying at its conclusion.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author. show less

Welcome the Silver Blackthorn Trilogy

The Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson is the first in the Silver Blackthorn Trilogy and what an explosive opening we have. This is fantasy at its best, introducing our Trilogy heroine Silver Blackthorn a 16 year old girl that decides that is she wants to live she will have to fight the King and all his men. The Reckoning to me is a mixture of The Game of Thrones with a splash of the Hunger Games thrown in but with that silky panache of a back story so the show more reader knows how we end up in this fantasy world.

There has been a long war in which England and Wales have been divided in to four realms and Scotland is no longer mentioned in polite company and they are under the leadership of King Victor who has moved the capital and the instruments of government to Windsor Castle. Each realm does not really know what the other is doing and set against each other in competition. Food is rationed and free thinking is not encouraged. Think watches and thinkpads control everything and supply the requirements of information needed by the masses. Since the war up north where Silver is from the great lake has now gone and is full of redundant electrical equipment which she has enjoyed as a child opening up and playing with.

All 16 year olds who become or turn 16 by 1st July have to take a test known as the Reckoning which will determine your station in life and what you will be doing for the rest of your life. Out of all those taking the Reckoning 15 boys and 15 girls will be chosen as Offerings and be sent to Windsor Castle to serve the King as he sees fit. This is a great honour for the families and the realms they are from. Once sent the Offerings they are never heard from again and nobody knows what happens to them.

Silver Blackthorn is one of the Offerings for the King and little does she know what is going to happen to her. She is left shocked at the end of the journey when they are locked in to their dormitory until sent for by the King for a banquet. At this banquet one of their number is killed by the King just for kicks and one of the girls is sent to the King for his personal use.

They are all allocated jobs Silver gets her position in the technology lab from which she is able to manipulate the technology. She discovers a secret passage behind the girl’s dormitory and a boy offering, Imrin, also finds one and they make an alliance and start planning how they can escape. They know that the Offerings are set against each other in a battle for survival in the Castle but to escape they all need to work together to escape. It is against this background that Silver Blackthorn needs to lead the other Offerings if they are going to survive and they need to do something they are not used to talking and trusting each other.

The Reckoning is a brilliant beginning for The Silver Blackthorn trilogy a northern girl taking the bull by the horns and taking on all comers. We have a new heroine who is intelligent fast and fearsome who just wants to be with her family and friends. The state and the Minister Prime and King Victor will do anything within their powers to do this.

The Reckoning grabs you by the short and curlies and you do not want to put this pulsating book down and when you get to the end you want the second in the trilogy already. As you are left with a hunger you want Renegade the next book in the trilogy and reading The Reckoning you want that tomorrow, can I wait till it is published? show less