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The Hunted by Charlie Higson
The Blurb On The Back:
”You don’t even know where she’s gone, do you?”
“I’ll find her.”
“You’ll probably find her body … It’s sicko central out there.”
The sickness struck everyone over fourteen.
First it twisted their minds.
Next it ravaged their bodies.
Now they roam the streets – crazed and hungry.
The others told Ella that the countryside would be safer than the city. They were wrong. Now Ed wants to assemble a crew and find her, though he has no idea who – or what – they’ll meet out there. Or if Ella is even alive …
But the sickos are moving as one towards the capital as if being called – and will kill anyone who stands in their way.
It’s immediately after THE FALLEN. Ella’s the only survivor of the sicko attack on the hotel – rescued by a grotesquely scarred kid she called Face-ache because he can’t speak. They hide out on a farm near Windsor but it’s not safe – either from the sickos who are building an army that’s moving on London or the local kids, who are out for whatever they can take. Fortunately Ed is at the Natural History Museum, putting together a group of fighters to look for her but they soon find that conditions in the suburbs are just as bad as in London and the kids just as divided ...
The sixth in Charlie Higson’s THE ENEMY SERIES is another slickly plotted, fast-paced and violent affair that advances the overall story arc while also giving more background on what’s caused the sickness. I enjoyed the way Higson brings back some old faces from THE ENEMY and the focus on Ella, who grows as a character while still being a believable scared little girl. I also enjoyed the interaction between Ed and Brooke, which shows how they have both grown over the course of the books and been shaped by their experiences. Having been raised in Slough, I was less thrilled with Higson’s depiction of the Slough kids as a mix of losers and psychos and I would have liked to have seen more of how the Bracknell, Windsor, Maidenhead and Ascot crews were organised (although that would have doubled the length of the book). Once again, Higson closes events with another massive cliffhanger and I will definitely buy the next book to find out what happens.
The relationship between Ella and Face-ache is central to the story here and I thought that Higson did a good job at showing their growing trust while also incorporating their respective backstories. I also liked the way the different stories dovetailed into each other while also bringing in relevant bits of information to keep the overall arc going, especially the scenes in the old people’s home. The Races was a little too artificial a device for me, although it did the job and it is fitting that the kids would resort to such violent spectacles to try and resolve disputes between their gangs. Ultimately though, this remains a gloriously dark, violent and thrilling series for teens and I am breathlessly awaiting the next book.
The Verdict:
The sixth in Charlie Higson’s THE ENEMY SERIES is another slickly plotted, fast-paced and violent affair that advances the overall story arc while also giving more background on what’s caused the sickness. I enjoyed the way Higson brings back some old faces from THE ENEMY and the focus on Ella, who grows as a character while still being a believable scared little girl. I also enjoyed the interaction between Ed and Brooke, which shows how they have both grown over the course of the books and been shaped by their experiences. Having been raised in Slough, I was less thrilled with Higson’s depiction of the Slough kids as a mix of losers and psychos and I would have liked to have seen more of how the Bracknell, Windsor, Maidenhead and Ascot crews were organised (although that would have doubled the length of the book). Once again, Higson closes events with another massive cliffhanger and I will definitely buy the next book to find out what happens.
“I’ll find her.”
“You’ll probably find her body … It’s sicko central out there.”
The sickness struck everyone over fourteen.
First it twisted their minds.
Next it ravaged their bodies.
Now they roam the streets – crazed and hungry.
The others told Ella that the countryside would be safer than the city. They were wrong. Now Ed wants to assemble a crew and find her, though he has no idea who – or what – they’ll meet out there. Or if Ella is even alive …
But the sickos are moving as one towards the capital as if being called – and will kill anyone who stands in their way.
It’s immediately after THE FALLEN. Ella’s the only survivor of the sicko attack on the hotel – rescued by a grotesquely scarred kid she called Face-ache because he can’t speak. They hide out on a farm near Windsor but it’s not safe – either from the sickos who are building an army that’s moving on London or the local kids, who are out for whatever they can take. Fortunately Ed is at the Natural History Museum, putting together a group of fighters to look for her but they soon find that conditions in the suburbs are just as bad as in London and the kids just as divided ...
The sixth in Charlie Higson’s THE ENEMY SERIES is another slickly plotted, fast-paced and violent affair that advances the overall story arc while also giving more background on what’s caused the sickness. I enjoyed the way Higson brings back some old faces from THE ENEMY and the focus on Ella, who grows as a character while still being a believable scared little girl. I also enjoyed the interaction between Ed and Brooke, which shows how they have both grown over the course of the books and been shaped by their experiences. Having been raised in Slough, I was less thrilled with Higson’s depiction of the Slough kids as a mix of losers and psychos and I would have liked to have seen more of how the Bracknell, Windsor, Maidenhead and Ascot crews were organised (although that would have doubled the length of the book). Once again, Higson closes events with another massive cliffhanger and I will definitely buy the next book to find out what happens.
The relationship between Ella and Face-ache is central to the story here and I thought that Higson did a good job at showing their growing trust while also incorporating their respective backstories. I also liked the way the different stories dovetailed into each other while also bringing in relevant bits of information to keep the overall arc going, especially the scenes in the old people’s home. The Races was a little too artificial a device for me, although it did the job and it is fitting that the kids would resort to such violent spectacles to try and resolve disputes between their gangs. Ultimately though, this remains a gloriously dark, violent and thrilling series for teens and I am breathlessly awaiting the next book.
The Verdict:
The sixth in Charlie Higson’s THE ENEMY SERIES is another slickly plotted, fast-paced and violent affair that advances the overall story arc while also giving more background on what’s caused the sickness. I enjoyed the way Higson brings back some old faces from THE ENEMY and the focus on Ella, who grows as a character while still being a believable scared little girl. I also enjoyed the interaction between Ed and Brooke, which shows how they have both grown over the course of the books and been shaped by their experiences. Having been raised in Slough, I was less thrilled with Higson’s depiction of the Slough kids as a mix of losers and psychos and I would have liked to have seen more of how the Bracknell, Windsor, Maidenhead and Ascot crews were organised (although that would have doubled the length of the book). Once again, Higson closes events with another massive cliffhanger and I will definitely buy the next book to find out what happens.