Any Second

Five years after being kidnapped, Elian's captor sends him into the mall--with a bomb strapped to his chest.

Across the mall is Maya, a girl whose crippling anxiety holds her prisoner in its own way.

Whether it's chance or fate, Maya keeps Eli from ending them all. And now nothing is the same. Drawn together by their dark pasts, Maya and Eli know it takes only seconds for their entire worlds to change. But time will tell if meeting each other will change them for better or worse.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Author: Kevin Emerson

Hardcover, 400 pages

Expected publication: November 20th 2018

Publishing House: Crown Books for Young Readers

My Review

Razor sharp suspense paired with deeply emotional turmoil that keeps the reader on edge till the end.

“The man was only known as Gabriel. Domestic terrorist. Child abductor. Tormentor. And among his family: Son of a bitch.”

It’s been five long, hard years since Eli was taken. Abducted. Brainwashed and fed with delusional propaganda while nourished at times on dog food. He slept on wooden floorboards and heard his sister being tormented upstairs. The garden hose was the worst…

Miraculously, on that fateful day, the day that Gabriel sent him with a bomb strapped to his body and a detonator in hand into the mall to blow it up, Maya crosses his path to interfere with only milliseconds to spare.

“My hand shakes, thumb slick on the smooth button. Arm twitching. Will I have arms in paradise? Legs? A body at all?”

Maya happens to be in the mall when she sees a boy walking awkwardly slow. Sweating, withdrawn and soiling himself. This day could not get any worse so far. Or could it? Maya’s parents are going through a divorce. Hanging out with either one parent alone feels weirdly awkward and still hurts. She is here with her dad, and then there comes Eli. Salvation or Detriment?

“Tastes like chicken? Kinda bland, actually. But there was something satisfying about the rubberiness. She considered the ruby of blood on her thumb. Sucked that too. ”…Why, yes, I enjoy tearing myself apart and occasionally consuming my own flesh. Wasn’t that on the same spectrum as I keep pieces of my neighbor in the freezer for special meals?”

A year after that awful day, Eli and Maya find themselves in the same high school. Always on guard, with undercover police hovering around to protect Eli, the both of them have gone through hours and hours of therapy sessions, apart and separated in order to move on. No one knows that they are the kids from that incident in the mall, and both Eli and Maya are working very hard to overcome their demons.

The day of the one year anniversary of the mall incident is approaching fast. As Gabriel has never been caught and brought to justice, Eli receives a threat at his door that unleashes panic among parents and students.

“So, Elliott High, I declare that I’ve chosen the date of your salvation, and it is close at hand. Your time has come.” “…My judgement will rain down upon you, very soon now. Very soon”

Is Gabriel after him again? Has he been around the entire time and possibly infiltrated into his life without anyone knowing?

An amazing suspenseful crescendo will lead you to the answers and put you on the edge of your seat till the very end.

***

This was truly very captivating and thrilling. I am so glad I had the chance to read this novel. I am slammed blindsided with its amazing prose and twisted mind games. Very well written throughout with attention to detail. Even the font by the publisher on the kindle was perfect.

I highly recommend it if you enjoy the kind of books that keep your pulse elevated for almost the entire read. I loved it. Enjoy :)

Trigger Warning

This novel is rated for Young Readers, grade 7-9 or teens and up. Personally, I would suggest it to the upper, upper range on that using my own personal judgment & safeguard by knowledge of its content. There are some harsh, downgrading or sexy words and situational references to sex, drugs, and alcoholism aside from the mental / physical abuse that could be disturbing and trigger points to some. The main characters are experiencing flashbacks with PTSD symptoms.

I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley in Exchange of an honest review.

All opinions are my own.

Thank you.