Any Second

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Level: Mature High School
Recommended: Yes, for mature readers

Kidnapped and brainwashed for three and a half years by a madman known only as Gabriel, Elian is trying to fulfill Gabriel's “Purpose” when the bomb that is strapped to his chest refuses to detonate at the mall. Maya, at the mall with her dad, intervenes and is hailed as a hero for saving everyone-- including Elian--but suffers from PTSD afterward. Fast forward many months, and Maya and Eli now go to the same high school. They aren’t supposed to interact in order to protect Eli’s true identity, but they find themselves drawn to each other because of their shared traumatic experience. As the anniversary of the failed bombing show more draws near, Maya and Eli struggle with the knowledge that Gabriel was never found, and there is a distinct possibility that he will try to find them.

Issues of violence, self-harm, sexual assault, drug use, and animal abuse make this a book appropriate for mature readers only. Written in first person with chapters that alternate between the voices of Elian and Maya, readers are able to get inside their heads and really see the damage that has been caused. In spite of events that might have broken others, Elian and Maya are survivors--barely, but survivors nonetheless--and it’s gratifying to watch them put themselves back together again. I did not like the cop-out ending, however, which is why my rating isn’t higher. Recommended for gr. 10-12. show less

This book would be great for older audiences due to the psychological, violence and emotional issues. The main character Elian, has been kidnapped for several years. After time with his captor, he is instructed to go into the mall and blow it up. When a disturbed girl, Maya, comes forward, a very troubled girl with many issues of her own, something changes. This book provides an intense and suspenseful journey between the two teens. I did like this book a lot. It was a page turner and hard to put down. I definitely would recommend it for older audiences due to some of the situations.

Mrs. Walker liked the growth of the characters over the course of the book. Both Eli and Maya had a lot to deal with, but readers were hopeful by the end of the book that they would both be okay in spite of everything.
Eli had been kidnapped and held for 5 years, and on the day that he was tasked by his captor to blow up the mall with a bomb strapped to his chest, Maya happened to be in the "right" place at the "right" time to stop him. The story is about the two of them picking up the pieces of their lives and figuring out how to go on after experiencing such trauma.