Kevin Brooks

This is one of those books that will haunt you and make you ponder how you would have acted in the characters places. It's like "Lord of the Flies" except possibly worse. It's unfathomably dark and will keep teens (and adults on the edge of their seats.

Sixteen year old Linus wakes up alone, cold, and hungry in an abandoned bunker. There's an empty kitchen, dining room, bathroom, six bedrooms, and an elevator. How will he survive? Can he escape? Will he go mad? As the days turn into weeks, show more more people find themselves drugged and awakening in the nightmarish bunker. There's a nine year old girl, a junkie, a young career woman, a business man, and an old gay man. Can they work together or will the bunker slowly drive them all insane? What is the point, why are they there?

This is one of those books that I literally yelled out a bunch of expletives when I got to the end. It's maddening. A great read, impossible to put down, that will make readers really think. show less

My daughter reccomended this book to me, and I'm so glad she did. When she was reading it we often had the following discussion:

Me: It's time to come to dinner.
Her: *eyes devouring the page* Uh-huh
Me: Really. You need to stop reading and eat.
Her: Uh-huh.
Me: Now!
Her: *reluctantly puts the book down*

I'm more sympathetic now. Kevin Brooks does such a good job of sucking you in and keeping the tension high throughout the whole of this book that putting it down to get some work done was a very show more difficult thing. I really enjoyed this story and I'm glad he doesn't dumb down the fear/danger for younger readers. show less

Elliott is afraid of everything. In fact, he doesn't remember ever not being afraid. His mother, his aunt and his doctor are the only people that don't remind him of monsters. But there are even some things he has to keep secret from them....like the fact he sees and talks to his twin sister, Ellamay, even though she died shortly after they were born. The only thing that shuts down the beast, his fears, are the little yellow pills he takes six times a day. The pills quiet his fears enough show more for him to not spend every second of every day terrified. Then one day the pharmacy makes a mistake and he might run out of medication during a holiday. His aunt goes to pick up his meds....but doesn't arrive at their house. Then his mother goes out to find out what happened and doesn't come back. It's a bit more than 500 yards from their house to his Aunt Shirley's home. But, Elliott doesn't usually leave the house. It's scary out there. Anything could happen. Elliott knows he has to brave his fears this one time and find out what happened to his aunt and his mother.

This story is so different. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it at first, but then as the characters developed more and the story started forming, I couldn't stop reading. What an awesome way to bring about more awareness about mental illness and its effects on children. This story is amazing! At times Elliott was so adult -- he understands he has a mental condition, he understands he needs his medication and he understands that at times how he feels is irrational......but then at other times, he is a 13-year old child dealing with a constant mental battle, feeling lost and alone, surrounded by monsters. The story is told from Elliott's point of view, painting a picture of how he views the world. His fears control his life, but he's still willing to step outside and find his mother.

Outstanding book! I'm not sure I would call it a "thriller'' like one of the book blurbs I read. For me, it was more emotional, showing the world from the point of view of a fearful, mentally ill child. It would be terrifying to almost be out of medication on Christmas Eve, then to have your two trusted caregivers disappear. That 500 yard walk to his aunt's house was terrifying.....and the situation that developed afterwards made Elliott face many more fears than just a walk through the snow.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less

His entire life Martyn Pig has put up with an unlucky name and an alcoholic bully of a father. So when his father accidentally dies in the living room, right in the middle of an episode of Inspector Morse, Martyn sees an opportunity to take control of his destiny. Dreading the prospect of having to live with his loathsome aunt, he decides not to report the accident to the authorities, confides instead in his neighbor friend (and secret crush), and unleashes a morbid series of events that show more unfold in the week before Christmas. A 15-year-old who finds comfort in detective fiction, Martyn tries to take inspiration from those beloved stories, only to find himself embroiled in a tense noir of his own, complete with blackmail and betrayal.

My VOYA ratings: 4Q ("Better than most, marred by occasional lapses") and 3P ("Will appeal with pushing"). In this debut novel, Brooks has crafted a fascinating narrator in Martyn Pig: introspective dreamer plagued with doubt and ennui, miserable and misguided adolescent striving to become a man. Martyn's story unfolds at an easy pace, alternating between scenes of suspenseful action and intense contemplation. For the budding mystery fan, this is a terrific gateway to the likes of Raymond Chandler and Alfred Hitchcock, and it can also appeal to anyone who enjoys atmospheric, character-based stories with exciting plot twists. Even knowing what was to come I was thrilled by the journey.

I do have a bone to pick, however, with Scholastic for perpetrating another dissatisfying Americanization of an English novel. The publisher decided to translate the currency, fine, but why in the world is Martyn listening to NPR and shopping a CVS pharmacy, when the story clearly takes place in England? This incoherent attempt at localization detracted from the reading experience, and when I go to buy a copy, I'll be sure to seek out a British or Canadian edition. show less