Thirteen by Tom Hoyle

The Blurb On The Back:

Born at midnight in London on the stroke of the new millennium, Adam is the target of a cult that believes boys born at this time must die before the end of their thirteenth year. Twelve have been killed so far. Coron, the crazy cult leader, will stop at nothing to bring in his new kingdom. And now he is planning a bombing spectacular across London to celebrate the sacrifice of his final victim: Adam.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Tom Hoyle’s debut Tween novel (the first in a series) is a lifeless, plodding thriller based on a premise filled with holes and populated by bland characters. The writing was flat (particularly dialogue, which is perfunctory at best) and the count-down motiff robs the story of what little tension there is with its anvil hints and ‘little did he knows’. The plot frequently stretches credibility to keep events moving (particularly with regard to how the police service works) and the story is peppered with internal inconsistencies. All in all, it was a disappointment and I won’t be reading on.

THIRTEEN was released in the United Kingdom on 13th February 2014. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.

One Kick by Chelsea Cain

The Blurb On The Back:

Kidnapped aged six.

Rescued aged twelve.

Kick Lannigan is a survivor.

In the early months following her freedom, Kick’s parents put her through a litany of therapies, but nothing helped. And then the detective who rescued her suggested Kick learn to fight; before she was thirteen, she learned marksmanship, martial arts, boxing, archery and knife-throwing. She excelled at every one, vowing never again to be a victim.

But then two children in the Portland area go missing in the same month. An enigmatic man approached Kick with a proposition: he is convinced her past experiences and expertise can be used to help the abductees. Little does Kick know the case will lead directly into her terrifying past …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Chelsea Cain’s new crime thriller (the first in a series) goes into the dark world of paedophilia to follow an abuse survivor determined to prevent other kids from suffering her fate. It’s slickly written with a plot that keeps moving (although a number of twists are telegraphed too early). I did have a problem with Kick who’s sold as a kick-ass survivor but who actually needs a man to tell her what to do and lead her towards conclusions she should be able to make on her own. That kind of faux-feminism is usually a deal breaker for me but what makes the book worth a look is the complicated relationship Kick has between her mother (who’s used Kick’s experiences to further her own celebrity) and Mel (who’s currently in the final stages of kidney failure). This, combined with an interesting set-up for the series means that while I have strong reservations about Kick as the protagonist, I’m interested enough to want to read the next in the series.

ONE KICK will be released in the United Kingdom on 14th August 2014. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book.