Daylight Runner

CAUTIONARY NOTE: I'm not 100% sure, but I think this was sent to me by the publisher as a freebie. I declare this because I'd not want to be fined $11,000 by some acne-packed bureaucrat.

It's not so long in the future and what's left of humanity is living in an enclosed environment called Ash Harbor; outside is not the arid desert environment we can in reality expect but a world in the grip of an ice age. Young Sol Wheat and his friends reveal that Ash Harbor is being run by corporate fascists who'll happily murder rather than give up an iota of their power. This is a tremendous page-turning adventure full of sudden dazzling flashes of acuity -- not least about the imbecility of the corporate/covert ops mind set. I was surprised by how show more much I enjoyed the book. show less

My thoughts...This was a thought provoking novel that had me thinking "what if" the whole time I read it. With all the environmental issues we are faced with on a daily basis, "what if" the worst case scenario happened and we were forced to live in a domed city beneath a frozen world? Those are the living conditions that make up the setting of this story. The author, Oisin McGann does a brilliant job of setting the scene. I found myself shuddering on several occasions imagining the living conditions, the recycled air and the constraints these people experienced daily.

The story is told from several characters point of view. First, Sol is a young boy who lost his mother and sister in an accident and is now dealing with the mysterious show more disappearance of his father. He is a quiet, observant teen who likes to take out his frustrations in the boxing ring. I liked his character and could see significant growth by the end of the book. The other two characters were his friend Chloe and his teacher Anna. Their POV's keep the story flowing and made it more interesting.

Overall I enjoyed the story line. I think this would be a good book for any age, but I think it would especially appeal to an adolescent boy. There is a fair amount of violence with some minor gore, there is very little romance-not too girly and it is full of action scenes. There are several mysteries to figure out as you try to decide who can be trusted and who not.

As for cons, it took me a while to get into the book. The last 100 pages were great and I read the end quickly. The beginning did a great job of setting up the story, but the middle just didn't grab me like I thought it would. For me, it picked up when the main character Sol had more interactions with the other characters. However I am glad I read it and I would recommend it to young readers who enjoy Science Fiction novels. show less

An Interesting Writing Technique And Twist Of Current Events

Daylight Runner by Oisin McGann*
Release Date September 23, 2008
4 out of 5 stars

Sol Wheat is on the run. First his father disappears and is wanted for murder. Then he is interrogated like a criminal. Next he gets a hair cut, gets kidnapped, almost tortured, and gets saved by a stranger who says he owes Sol’s dad. Now the police, debt-collectors, AND the clock workers are chasing him. As more and more “accidents” occur in Ash Harbor Sol starts to question the Machine and its rumored protectors, the Clockworkers. Who are the Clockworkers? Who are commanding the Clockworkers? What do they want with Sol’s father? Are the Clockworkers really protecting the Machine, or just show more someone’s hidden agenda? First, Sol was being chased just because people wanted to know his fathers whereabouts. But now that Sol is a potential threat to the higher-ups, he is to be stopped…

Daylight Runner was an intriguing book with an unique writing style. This book is not only a sci-fi thriller (stated on its back cover), but a mystery. The style was different and stood out. Instead of the usual gain clues along your search and then have a “big reveal” ending, Daylight Runner began with one question that webbed into many questions that formed from one possible “clue”.

Sol’s personality, strength, innocence (in the beginning at least), and his driven need to find out the truth were the only reasons why Sol even learned of the Clockworkers and their plots. If he had not of had his perseverate spirit, the people around him probably would have kept him in the dark.

Many people today comment about “Global Warming”. I love the way the author went in the opposite direction with this book. Instead of Global Warming, this book is dealing with a enclosed concrete bubble that is protecting its inhabitants from the second Ice Age, a few centuries in Earth’s future.

Daylight Runner’s almost backwards scintillating mystery solving technique and ironic twist of current events made this book highly original and unique.

Date Reviewed: September 1st, 2008 show less

Reviewed by Bookluver-Carol for TeensReadToo.com

Asking questions in Ash Harbor can get you killed.

Sol Wheat is asking a lot of questions . . . especially after his father vanishes and is accused of murder.

Outside of the huge domed city, an Ice Age has transformed Earth into an Arctic desert. But inside, the Machine, protected by the Clockworkers--a fearsome police organization--has become the source of the city's energy and a way for industrial leaders to wield enormous power. When a rogue organization begins posting messages warning of the Machine's impending failure, civil unrest grows.

As Sol begins to uncover the city's deepest secrets, the Clockworkers start targeting him. Now he's on the run in Ash Harbor's underground, where gangs show more rule and danger lurks in every corner. His life and the survival of Ash Harbor are both at risk.

It took me awhile to get into this book. The beginning and some of the middle was kind of boring, although I did like that the author included some background information and how the future came to be. But then, it got much more interesting. The book started to pick up; there was some action and futuristic elements that I enjoyed.

The change in point of view that happened every once in awhile allowed you to view the future through two seemingly unrelated teens. I did like the way the characters were written and the way they acted. The way it was set up to seem as if their worlds weren't connected until the middle of the book made it a bit more interesting.

Overall, if you're looking for a slow-starting but interesting futuristic novel, don't look much further than DAYLIGHT RUNNER. show less