No Escape

Persefone #0.5

by Michelle Gagnon

Gritty and heart-stopping, this short story from break-out author Michelle Gagnon also features a teaser to her thrilling debut young-adult novel, Don't Turn Around.

Seventeen-year-old Alex might be living day-to-day on whatever he can steal, but he still prefers being on the run to getting caught and thrown back in juvie. Plus, he has Jenny to think of. She comes with her own world of problems, but for once Alex feels like somebody actually needs him. So when a shady organization gives Alex the chance to participate in a medical study, all he hears is easy money — and a lot of it! He'll soon find out there's more involved.

Set directly before Don't Turn Around, Michelle Gagnon's No Escape lays the groundwork for a world in which every move you make is being watched, and no one can be trusted.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Thriller, Novella, Ebooks, Fiction, Dystopia

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2012

About the author

Michelle Gagnon is a former modern dancer, bartender, dog walker, model, personal trainer, and Russian supper club performer. Her bestselling adult thrillers THE TUNNELS, BONEYARD, THE GATEKEEPER, and KIDNAP & RANSOM have been published in North America, France, Denmark, Spain, Argentina, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Australia. BONEYARD was a finalist for a 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

The first book in her Young Adult PERSEFONE trilogy, DON'T TURN AROUND, was selected as one of the best books of 2012 by the American Library Association, Entertainment Weekly Magazine, and Kirkus. It was nominated for an ITW Thriller award, and was a Junior Library Guild and Indienext pick. Along with DON'T LOOK NOW and DON'T LET GO, the entire series received multiple starred reviews and state library awards.

UNEARTHLY THINGS is a modernized, deconstructed version of Jane Eyre set in the world of San Francisco high society. (SoHo Teen, 2017)

Her latest adult novel, KILLING ME, is a neo-noir thriller about unlikely heroines who hunt serial killers.

Michelle lives in Los Angeles, where she is currently attaining a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.

Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MichelleGagno...
or Twitter: @Michelle_Gagnon

Reviews

[Ms. G Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read electronically, 33% of the book is the story. The rest a preview of don't turn around.

[AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prequel to Don't Turn Around. Kindle free download 8/1/12. May be available in other formats. Download it here.

Not necessary to read this short story as a prequel to Don't Turn Around but it gives the background how street kids were recruited for the medical experiments. This short story includes the first 3 chapters of Don't Turn Around.

[*Layali* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prequel to Don't Turn Around that also includes the first couple of chapters to that same book.

The prequel is rather creepy and made me wonder what the hell is really going on. I liked Alex's character. I hope he shows up in Don't Turn Around. His hot headed attitude had me laughing.

What I don't understand is why the "doctors" very conveniently put scalpels in the rooms with these kids who are known for stealing and hacking. They just thought that everything would be okay and that Alex and Noa wouldn't even consider trying to use the tools against them?

Anyway, looking forward to reading Don't Turn Around.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I waited too long to read this prequel. I read Don’t Turn Around in October 2012. I wasn’t aware this prequel existed until March 2013 when I was poking around looking for info on a sequel (note: due out August 2013). I don’t really feel like the novella offered me anything more. The novel’s first chapters, included at the end of the novella, effectively set-up the drama & suspense even using a similar scene Alex's attempted escape becomes Noa's escape . I looked to the novella to fill a void or offer a deeper look into an auxiliary character and I didn’t feel like the novella gave me anything I didn’t get from the book. And the book was fantastic!

[Hannah]

I'm starting to like this trend of Kindle prequels to trilogies. But trilogies still make me mad--just so we're clear.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Alex lives on the streets with his girlfriend Jenny. They have very little money, and Jenny is addicted to drugs.
* Alex steals a purse, but is injured whilst getting away, and he doesn't want to get caught and go back to juvie.
* Alex goes to a free clinic and is given an address where he is told he can participate in a medical study and get paid $1000.
* Alex goes to the address and at first he thinks things are going well, but then he's given an injection and realises that he's not in control anymore.

- This was okay, I felt quite sorry for Alex, but at the same time there didn't seem to be an easy way for him to get out of the situation he was stuck in. He seemed to just look for ways to make easy money fast rather than finding ways to get help, but that is maybe all he felt able to do.

[Mella · Rating 2 out of 5]

A brief introduction to the series; this short follows Alex Herbruck - a homeless teen who manages to evade the cops but still ends up being hit by a car. While going to the free clinic to check his leg and score some pills for his girlfriend, he receives an offer to good to be true - the opportunity to be paid for medical research.

I wouldn't say this novella was anything special, the real value would be the first three chapters to the first book of the trilogy, Don't Turn Around. But then, you still get those chapters if you just buy the first book so I wouldn't recommend this unless you get it for free. It did give a taste though and the sample of the first book blew me away. It's intense and crazy and I'm itching to read the series. Noa seems like a total badass. 2 stars.

[Ingo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather short addition (was free for me, I do not think it is worth anything to pay for it, so be aware).
OK introduction, but no hacking, and I did not really get into it, not having read anything else yet.
Bought the first novel today, to read it. It may be a mistake to read this first, or add no value.
Hopefully the novel is better, else I see a DNF coming...
Will add to this review wether it may be necessary to read this after finshing the novel.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

"No Escape" is a bite-sized prequel to the "Don't Turn Around" trilogy.
Alex, 16, is living on the streets. He is not in good health and, after a visit to a free clinic, gets an offer that is too good to turn down - lots of cash for a quick medical trial.
It's fairly obvious that this is not going to end well - and it doesn't.
It's way to short to judge but it grabbed my attention - I'll give the trilogy a shot.
2.5 Stars raised to 3 Stars.

[Kay Mcaloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short mystery intro to the next book. Not my genre.

[Hud-c · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

WARNING: Review has spoilers popping somewhere between lines and among sentences. I can't help it I can't stop myself from releasing bits and pieces of the first book - Don't Turn Around. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

Okay No Escape is a prelude of the first book of the PERSEFONE series written by Michelle Gagnon. In here, we're introduced to Alex. A sixteen year old boy living out of stealing and always on the run. But his tired of it and wanted to badly escape that desolate world of hunger and fear. So after being approached by a doctor, Alex was informed of a medical experiment that would be needing "paid volunteers"; lured by the money, Alex immediately sought it out. Unfortunately, it doesn't turn out the way he thinks it will be.

I really thought I will read about Noa in this novella but rather Gagnon presented a different character - Alex. I was actually looking forward to learning what happened to her - the abduction and experimentation. How they came up with the success in their experiment. I WANT DETAILS. And I want to know about PEMA - how does that disease evolve. Sadly that was not the case. Although this has been ultimately different from what I expected, I found the scenes and way the story constructed - fast-paced and thrilling. I like it. This is short spanning only a few pages but I felt the anxiety I'd experience reading Don't Turn Around. Its creepy what these people do and how they conspired with each other to take on youths in the streets for their experiments. There were no detailed description of what they do. I'm talking about the bad men in here and referring to their medical studies. Yet my mind is forming these numerous mental images especially when the scalpel was brought up! THANKS MICHELLE FOR SETTING THAT PICTURE IN MY BRAIN. I might not sleep soundly for several days. YIKES!!

[Tiffany Holme · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I was very excited to see this prequel was being offered up free! I had won an ARC of Don't Turn Around and was super interested from the description but didn't really know what I was in for. Prequels are a great way to see if you are going to be into the story, the writing style and normally gives you a peek into the characters you are going to be spending time with. This was a perfect way to get me amped up for getting the ARC in the mail.

Told from Alex's point of view this was a quick yet intriguing read. Alex lives on the streets doing what he can to just survive. Right away you get the impression that Alex is a fighter and even though he does some things that just aren't right he is only doing what he feels he needs to, to get by from day to day. Although it involves some not so legal things at times he is just trying to live and keep Jenny happy. Even if she thinks her addiction is more important than him, at least he has her.

A purse jacking gone bad and the need for medical treatment leads Alex into a shady situation. When offered more money than he could dream of he finds himself willing to do anything to get it. Upon arrival he starts to think that it isn't all he thought it would be and maybe not even worth it but that choice is long gone and he is in for something he would have never have expected/wanted. This is where the chills start and you can tell. I can divulge too much because I want you enjoy it without me spoiling it!

Well written and addictive this little prequel did its job and has me wanting to know exactly what is going on and why. From looking around this appears to be Michelle Gagnon's first YA novel and let me tell you I am excited. With a prequel like this I can only imagine how much I am going to enjoy Don't Turn Around!

[Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hm. This one was short and sweet, and like most novellas, was quite fast paced. I’m not sure about it’s usefulness, but at least it was free.

No Escape does one thing quite well: it shows that Ms Gagnon is a skilled writer. Right away we are plunged into the action with the main character, Alex, having just stolen a woman’s purse and is now running away from his pursuer. Though we can tell immediately that Alex is a criminal, Gagnon was able to paint him in a very sympathetic light in just a few pages, all while keeping us hooked into the story. I think these things show the potential of the author’s writing – the ability to create anti-heroes who are sympathetic, if a little unorthodox, and the ability to write a good action sequence without getting lost.

However, the story to me felt a little… useless. There wasn’t a true ending, really, and there are no answers to be found anywhere within the short 50 pages. I suspect that’s because Alex (or at least Alex’s plight) play into a bigger part of Don’t Turn Around’s story line. But because No Escape is marked as a prequel, it left me a little underwhelmed. Perhaps if this had been marketed as a supplemental read partway through the series, the problems and mysteries that Alex face would have better context.

Anyway, I know now that I can’t wait to get to Don’t Turn Around. I can tell already that Michelle Gagnon’s writing is going to be witty, and engaging. She mastered Alex’s voice so well – casual and informal from his years living on the streets, without having rage-inducing eye-dialect that would drive me mad. Also, I’m DYING to know what the hell is going on with these crazy doctors!

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up as a free download for Kindle. I had stumbled upon it while browsing ebooks available from my local library. When I discovered it was a short story I considered passing on it but decided I had nothing to lose so I downloaded it.

The writing is good and the character is well developed. I was disappointed however in that I do not feel that the short story is adequately constructed. A short story plot needs four plot elements. These elements include the information needed to understand the story, a complication a climax and a resolution. In my opinion this story does well with the first three plot elements but falls short on the fourth.

After reading a few other reviews I realize that the published work is not simply a short story but a prequel or marketing material for a novel, Don't Turn Around. The novel is the first book in a trilogy. When viewed as a marketing piece for a book the story is effective as it generated enough interest for me to look into reading the book. As a short story though I think it falls short.

I hope the novel doesn't disappoint me. I have read other first books in trilogies and been disappointed in the plot resolution. As I have said in other reviews, I believe that each book in a trilogy should have a conflict resolution. One review of this book draws comparisons to The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo trilogy. I hope this trilogy has the essential plot elements in each book and does not become another serial where the three books are essentially one novel published in three parts rather than a trilogy.

[JudgyK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is going to surprise the hell out of you, but No Escape is a Don’t Turn Around story. I KNOW. You never could have guessed. It’s another cheapy eBook that isn’t essential to getting the concept of Don’t Turn Around but still gives a bit of information that is useful to people like me who always want to know MORE. Hey, JKR, when are you publishing Hogwarts: A History? I will read the crap out if it.

Alex is a 16-year-old homeless boy. He is taking care of a girl named Jenny, and has to find money / food / other things for her, which leads him to accept the offer to get a large bit of cash by participating in some sort of medical study. As if that’ll actually work.

Before long, Alex is in the same situation as Noa in the beginning of Don’t Turn Around. He wakes up alone, in a warehouse, noticing that shit has been done to him that is not cool. He, like Noa, is a scrappy street kid and tries to get out of there. He is less successful. (What? Is that a spoiler? It’s not like the book is called Escape.)

I wouldn’t bother paying for this, but it was free and I liked it so why not?

[Rebecca Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this was amazing. Non-stop action from start to finish. I was holding my breath!

Alex is a homeless kid on the streets. After pick-pocketing a stranger, he’s chased and hit by a car, resulting in a nasty bruise on his leg. Upon visiting a free clinic, he’s told by a doctor about a company who pays people so they can perform medical tests. Sound too good to be true? That’s because it is. When Alex finally visits the medical company and agrees to the testing so he can feed his girlfriend and himself, he’s stabbed with a needle and wakes up days later in an unfamiliar warehouse. But Alex quickly learns he can’t escape these people.

Overall, if you love mysteries/thrillers, then I’d highly recommend you read this. Personally, I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I thought this short story was a bit of a pointless read. It's a prequel to Don't Turn Around and I would have liked something at least somewhat meaningful to be in it. For example, a back story on Zeke (a character from Don't Turn Around). But, this story was merely about a random kid who is experimented on by the corporation. I mean, it was intense and written well and everything, but just pointless. Developing a character that probably dies and for sure never appears in the novel. But, this story is offered free on Kobo (probably other places as well, I would assume) and it includes the first 3 chapters of Don't Turn Around. So, I suppose if you are unsure if you want to read Don't Turn Around, then you can pick up this freebie and see if you're into it.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really short (shorter than the 50 pages they give you) prequel to Don't Turn Around. It's not necessary to read this before you read the book but it does give you a bit more clarity on how the teenagers were being abducted. It focuses on Alex, a hot head who is focused on survival, and how he gets unwittingly sucked into something far more sinister.
I do like that Gagnon gave him some depth as well as history even though it really isn't necessary for the story, it makes it more enjoyable.
A good little prequel even if it wasn't a necessary read.

[Paul Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I got this story, I noticed that it was a 50 page 'prequel' (which included a preview for her new book, Don't Turn Away.) I thought that would be a fair gauge on what the book was like. Little did I know at the time that more than half of the 50 pages was taken up with the "preview" and the story itself was very short and, although the story was okay, I came away feeling a little flat and disappointed.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short story, compelling and entertaining. I did not remember the premise of book one prior to reading the short so I kept imaging different scenarios. Unfortunately we are left not knowing what exactly is going on by the end of the story because, well, the premise of book one would rather be ruined then. I didn't particularly care for the character of Alex, but the intrigue surrounding what was going on kept me reading. I am interested in seeing where the author takes the series.

[Becky Seabaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief and exciting, this book could be read either before or after Don't Turn Around. I'm kind of hoping Eric turns out to be Zeke...? Maybe, but probably not.

I believe I was introduced to this author/series on Twitter. A recommendation from one of the authors I follow, if I'm remembering correctly (Tahereh Mafi, maybe?). If you're looking for good book suggestions, Twitter is a great place to find them. Just follow authors whose work you love.

[Fly To The Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Escape was a great opener to Don’t Turn Around. It was extremely short, but it gave a great beginning to the rest of the series. I read Don’t Turn Around before reading No Escape and felt satisfied with the short story. These books are great and you should definitely consider reading them.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice short story that shows you a glimpse of what's to come in Don't Turn Around.

This is based around a kid named Alex. It shows a little about his life and how he came to be in the medical study.

[Mark Polino · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Escape is a decent prequel or teaser for the PERSEFoNE series. It felt like a movie trailer, though. The finish left too many questions. Still, the first book of the series, Don't Turn Around worked really well so I'm off to read the next book.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short-story prequel to the exciting, suspenseful "Don't Turn Around" trilogy. It's very brief (most of this free e-book consists of an excerpt from the first book of the trilogy), but worth reading whether you've read the trilogy yet or not.

[Amber Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short story before "Don't Turn Around." No real impact on the story, but I expected something...longer?

[Marie33 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book provided by author.

A good little read. Wish there was more though

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uhh okay. Creepy much? And a bit confusing but a great prequel. I guess I have to fully understand it in Don't Turn Around. Ah I still have the chills.

[KK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely short intro to a new series, but very intriguing.