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Siege
Leah Jackson - in detention. Then armed Year 9s burst in, shooting. She escapes, just. But the new Lock Down system for keeping intruders out is now locking everyone in. She takes to the ceilings and air vents with another student, Anton, and manages to use her mobile to call out to the world.
First: survive the gang - the so-called 'Eternal Knights'.
Second: rescue other kids taken hostage, and one urgently needing medical help.
Outside, parents gather, the army want intelligence, television cameras roll, psychologists give opinions, sociologists rationalize, doctors advise - and they all want a piece of Leah. Soon her phone battery is running out; the SAS want her to reconnoiter the hostage area ... But she is guarding a terrifying conviction. Her brother, Connor, is at the center of this horror. Is he with the Eternal Knights or just a pawn?
She remembers. All those times Connor reached out for help ... If she'd listened, voiced her fears about him earlier, would things be different now? Should she give up her brother?
With only Anton for company, surviving by wits alone, Leah wrestles with the terrible choices ...
First: survive the gang - the so-called 'Eternal Knights'.
Second: rescue other kids taken hostage, and one urgently needing medical help.
Outside, parents gather, the army want intelligence, television cameras roll, psychologists give opinions, sociologists rationalize, doctors advise - and they all want a piece of Leah. Soon her phone battery is running out; the SAS want her to reconnoiter the hostage area ... But she is guarding a terrifying conviction. Her brother, Connor, is at the center of this horror. Is he with the Eternal Knights or just a pawn?
She remembers. All those times Connor reached out for help ... If she'd listened, voiced her fears about him earlier, would things be different now? Should she give up her brother?
With only Anton for company, surviving by wits alone, Leah wrestles with the terrible choices ...
303 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
11 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mussi
14 books53 followersSarah Mussi was born in Gloucestershire. After her education at a girl’s school in Cheltenham, she completed a post graduate degree at the Royal College of Art before leaving the UK for West Africa. She lived in Ghana, West Africa for over eighteen years, marrying a Ghanaian and teaching in Accra. Sarah now lives in Brixton and teaches in Lewisham, splitting her holidays between England and Ghana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
February 21, 2013
This review contains spoilers.
Siege was a novel that I was actually pretty nervous to read when it came time to pick it up. First of all, the cover of the ARC is very jarring and screams unrelenting violence. Second of all, with recent events of the world it seemed like one that would be hard to read and possibly make me want to homeschool my children. I can say that the first 50% hit that mark, it was gory and seemed to be an act of teen rebellion but the way the story went in the latter half of the novel really ruined the whole experience for me as the novel became something the blurb says nothing about.
Here is the cover of the ARC for people who are now wondering:
I have no idea how I can talk about my disappointments without spoiling the plot of the novel. So there are going to be spoilers ahead, if you do plan on reading this novel turn back now, if you are going to heed my advice, read on! Okay, so I went into the novel bearing down for a gritty contemporary that was going to be a very literal and unflinching look at what goes on during a school shooting. I have a weird thing for books that deal with this topic and while I have read books that detail the events leading up to a shooting or the aftermath of one, I had never read a book that actually takes place DURING the actual shooting. The first half is just that, Leah is running, hiding in the ceiling tiles and attempting to save some friends of hers. All along there are these random seeds planted that point towards these people living in a dystopian society. The school has a hefty lock down protocol that is virtually undoable inside the school unless a fire blazes that was implemented after the citizens rioted one too many times. Then the whole shooting becomes one that the government planned and is broadcasting over the net to show just how violent the poor kids are and to prove to the world that these Challenge schools for them should be shut down because they are worthless and violent and don’t deserve an education. Yeah, so this was not a contemporary novel.
There wasn’t near enough development to explain why the government was doing this at all. All we get as far as world building really is just Leah remembering why some things are the way that they are, nothing more than that because it all takes place in a day during the shooting. The character development is a bit better than the world building at least with our MC Leah. She struggles throughout the book thinking about the possibility that her younger brother is among the shooters in the school and her feelings about that possibility are all over the place. She’s grown up with a depressed mother and as basically that sole caregiver for her younger siblings which had me feeling pretty bad for her. She didn’t always make good decisions and I found myself so frustrated at her constant need to get down out of the ceiling. I guess she had to though, it wouldn’t have been much of a story if she just hid up in the tiles through the whole thing, I guess I just wish her reasonings were better sometimes. The first time she gets down she is above the empty library that the Eternal Knights just left with all remaining surivivors. She wants to phone the police (which she did twice but then refused to talk) so she gets down out of the ceiling to go down to the boiler room where the furnaces will cover the sound of her voice. You’re above an empty library, rather than talking in a low voice to the police, I think getting down and running through the school is definitely a better course of action *sarcasm*. It just didn’t make sense. She's really the only character that we get development on, so even the people in the story left something to be desired.
This novel was not what I expected it to be and definitely not what it has been advertised to be. That left me feeling disappointed and angry at the book. I guess if you are looking for a light dystopian read that you can read without much reasoning and forget about world building entirely, then this could be for you. But as it stands I don’t think this one has a lot going for it and I can’t recommend it.
An Advanced Reading Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
--
You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
Siege was a novel that I was actually pretty nervous to read when it came time to pick it up. First of all, the cover of the ARC is very jarring and screams unrelenting violence. Second of all, with recent events of the world it seemed like one that would be hard to read and possibly make me want to homeschool my children. I can say that the first 50% hit that mark, it was gory and seemed to be an act of teen rebellion but the way the story went in the latter half of the novel really ruined the whole experience for me as the novel became something the blurb says nothing about.
Here is the cover of the ARC for people who are now wondering:
I have no idea how I can talk about my disappointments without spoiling the plot of the novel. So there are going to be spoilers ahead, if you do plan on reading this novel turn back now, if you are going to heed my advice, read on! Okay, so I went into the novel bearing down for a gritty contemporary that was going to be a very literal and unflinching look at what goes on during a school shooting. I have a weird thing for books that deal with this topic and while I have read books that detail the events leading up to a shooting or the aftermath of one, I had never read a book that actually takes place DURING the actual shooting. The first half is just that, Leah is running, hiding in the ceiling tiles and attempting to save some friends of hers. All along there are these random seeds planted that point towards these people living in a dystopian society. The school has a hefty lock down protocol that is virtually undoable inside the school unless a fire blazes that was implemented after the citizens rioted one too many times. Then the whole shooting becomes one that the government planned and is broadcasting over the net to show just how violent the poor kids are and to prove to the world that these Challenge schools for them should be shut down because they are worthless and violent and don’t deserve an education. Yeah, so this was not a contemporary novel.
There wasn’t near enough development to explain why the government was doing this at all. All we get as far as world building really is just Leah remembering why some things are the way that they are, nothing more than that because it all takes place in a day during the shooting. The character development is a bit better than the world building at least with our MC Leah. She struggles throughout the book thinking about the possibility that her younger brother is among the shooters in the school and her feelings about that possibility are all over the place. She’s grown up with a depressed mother and as basically that sole caregiver for her younger siblings which had me feeling pretty bad for her. She didn’t always make good decisions and I found myself so frustrated at her constant need to get down out of the ceiling. I guess she had to though, it wouldn’t have been much of a story if she just hid up in the tiles through the whole thing, I guess I just wish her reasonings were better sometimes. The first time she gets down she is above the empty library that the Eternal Knights just left with all remaining surivivors. She wants to phone the police (which she did twice but then refused to talk) so she gets down out of the ceiling to go down to the boiler room where the furnaces will cover the sound of her voice. You’re above an empty library, rather than talking in a low voice to the police, I think getting down and running through the school is definitely a better course of action *sarcasm*. It just didn’t make sense. She's really the only character that we get development on, so even the people in the story left something to be desired.
This novel was not what I expected it to be and definitely not what it has been advertised to be. That left me feeling disappointed and angry at the book. I guess if you are looking for a light dystopian read that you can read without much reasoning and forget about world building entirely, then this could be for you. But as it stands I don’t think this one has a lot going for it and I can’t recommend it.
An Advanced Reading Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
--
You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
February 25, 2013
If I don't shout maybe I can save myself, save the rest of us. But I don't know how I can just look on and watch a murder. Can you do that? Can you look on and do nothing? It feels like I ought to do something. It feels like all of this was because we all just stood by and did nothing, in the before time, in the time when we had every flipping day to sort out all the Connors and all the Jases and all the Lucases ever born.
I went into this with some trepidation, because I think we'd all agree, this is a tricky subject to take on. To make this powerful and meaningful, to show the horror of the situation, but also any hope - slim hope, slim humanity - to avoid sensationalism and finger-pointing...it all just seemed like too much to ask. And briefly in the beginning, I was worried that it was going to be too much to ask. But Mussi somehow pulls it off, despite all of the times it could have gone wrong. Siege is powerful and effecting and so very, very horrific, but I never felt like Mussi was just going for shock-value or trying to fulfill a quota on bleak atrocities.
But my god, her success with Siege makes this a hard review to write. When I finished the book - in the middle of the night, mind you - I wanted nothing more than to just get up and record a vlog for you guys, a sort of impressions video, 1/2 review, 1/2 discussion. Because frankly, I needed to talk it out. But as it was the middle of the night, and as I was essentially a shattered mess, that didn't seem like the best idea. But now I'm stuck wondering how do I write about this? How do I discuss this without being raw, and without giving too much away?
What makes this book work so well is Leah Jackson, the smarter-and-braver-than-she-could-have-ever-realized main character. The way the story is filtered through her experiences - who she is, her need to help and fix and save and live - and her fear that her brother may somehow be involved, is what makes the story so powerful. Mussi evolves Leah's character very well throughout the story, from the beginning panic and confusion, through her disgust and her questioning and examining, and all of her realizations and revelations; Leah grows tremendously in a very condensed time frame, and the reader is led along at break-neck speed, thinking the same thoughts Leah does at the same time she thinks them. Leah's adrenaline practically drips off the page. This is a visceral read; it gets you in the guts. My heart pounded - literally pounded - reading this. That just doesn't happen to me. I get butterflies when something is really good, yes, but heart-pounding, physical, nervous anxiety is a rare one for me. And of course the way I felt completely gutted in the end... there was that. All of this happens through Leah and her somewhat stream of consciousness narration, and it makes for a really compelling read.
But this is part of what will make it a very difficult book for some people to read. There is no break from Leah's voice, and she is in the thick of things right from the start. There are no little side jaunts with other characters, no forays into the outside world for reactions - nothing to give the reader a break from the relentless anxiety and stress that Leah is under, both physically and mentally. Leah witnesses a lot of things no one should have to witness, and is forced to contemplate things or act on things that no one should have to face. I wouldn't call Siege gratuitous, necessarily, and I don't think Mussi descended into sensationalism and useless violence, but she doesn't flinch away from the true horrors of a situation like this. But I think everything is done with an eye to being honest to the story and the situation, and (more importantly) to the whole of the situation, all of the little things that lead to something like this. Most readers will know within pages - if not even before they start the book - whether Siege is the right type of read for them, but for those that can handle it, I think they'll find it a really compelling read with a lot of fascinating gray area to explore. And I think they'll find it surprisingly - perhaps uncomfortably - relatable.
I will say, I was really, really leery of the use of government presence in this. There came a point early on where I started to have suspicions, and as I was slowly proven right, I kept asking myself whether this weakened the story or strengthened it. I don't want to give anything away, but there's an element of the Grand Government Conspiracy here, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it (sadly, scarily) is believable for the world that has been set up. Even more sad and scary, is that there are definitely people who believe these Grand Government Conspiracies are happening here and now in relation to shootings. Seriously. Google "Sandy Hook conspiracy theories" and you'll see what I mean. So even though this particular instance is believable and works for the story, and even though it sort of parallels the way people search to impose meaning on senseless acts, I could never really decide if I felt it was a necessary element, and whether it added or detracted from the central issues of the story. It worked in the end, and maybe even won me over; I think Mussi certainly handled it better than many would. But I think there are readers who are going to find it one thing too much in a book that already begins as a struggle for some to read.
The only other thing I want to touch on - and that, only briefly - is the ending. I really can't say much because I don't want to give a single itty, bitty thing away, but I think some readers will be very bothered by at least one aspect of the ending - and really, there are a few to choose from. Personally, I was not bothered, and it's one of the things that had me sitting up late into the night, talking myself down from the book, and thinking that it would make for a really intriguing group or book club read. In some respects, I think things happened in the only way they really could, but at the same time, the end leaves so much to talk about and think over, and - if you're brave enough - feel, and after all the stress and tension of the book, these last few twists of the knife might be a bit too much for some readers. Personally, I think feeling it is good; being bothered by it is good. This is a book to be discussed, not reviewed.
[And I'm going to be completely honest with you and tell you that, not only did I have a really good cry when I finished (an interesting book-cry, not just sad, but sort of drained and hollowed out), but I also teared up a few times writing this review, as it all came back to me. It's not just the things that happen in the book, but the way Mussi makes you feel, and the way a story like this - at least for me, an American woman who hears about these things far too often, and who for a long time intended to be a teacher - really hits home.]
June 14, 2013
"If I don't shout maybe I can save myself, save the rest of us. But I don't know how I can just look on and watch a murder. Can you do that? Can you look on and do nothing? It feels like I ought to do something. It feels like all of this was because we all just stood by and did nothing.."
hints:
do not, i repeat, do not. read this book before going to bed: it will give you nightmares.
make sure you have plenty of time to read this in one sitting, because it is impossible to put down.
Review:
I did not ''enjoy'' this book.
At all. I don't think anyone who's read this really *enjoyed* the book.
It's a book that will leave you numb, and raw, and will take you on a wild, emotional roller-coaster ride but to enjoy it? Firstly, you mustn't have a heart if you take pleasure in reading about 14 year old kids shooting people at random. Secondly, errrm. yeah. you mustn't have a heart.
During this book i sometimes had to stop and just stare into the distance, trying to shake of my feelings of panic, and fear, and total desperation; because i felt inside the story.
I was Leah Jackson. I was hiding up in the ceiling to get away from the shootings, I was watching havoc reign below me; I was panicking over my brother, Connor, and I was hopelessly trying to convince myself he wasn't in on it, he couldn't be in on it all. And failing.
When a book pulls me into the action and feel the emotions of the main character i automatically give the book a thumbs up, and that's what happened with this book. Although while it made me feel all this pain, and rage, and tension, a few things irked me slightly.
One was the little bits of bad language dotted around. If you read my reviews you'll know even the slightest bit of bad language puts me off: i just feel like it is never necessary, there are other ways to convey feelings than by mouthing off at the situation; however, in this case, it was understandable, yet i still didn't really like it.
Secondly, although it was a main part of the plot, i felt like there was a slight bit of ''politics'' underlying the story-line, i don't know. *just the fact that the government was behind it all maybe me feel slightly uncomfortable, like when reading about how the Capitol is the ''bad place'' in The Hunger Games and that President Snow is so controlling and kills children just to instill fear into the public*..but maybe i'm just reading too much into it...
Overall, Siege was an intense and disturbing read and will snatch you into the story within a matter of seconds. And the end, while, i thought, obvious, was still an emotional, and a powerful way to finish. This story will shock you, scare you and make you live the life of Leah Jackson; a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time.
NOTE: so i don't think people understood me when i said i didn't 'enjoy' the book. I did. Not in the dictionary (''to experience with joy'') definition though. This was no joyful, fluffy, happy, book. It was dark and full of gruesome little details. But i didn't dislike the book.
hints:
do not, i repeat, do not. read this book before going to bed: it will give you nightmares.
make sure you have plenty of time to read this in one sitting, because it is impossible to put down.
Review:
I did not ''enjoy'' this book.
At all. I don't think anyone who's read this really *enjoyed* the book.
It's a book that will leave you numb, and raw, and will take you on a wild, emotional roller-coaster ride but to enjoy it? Firstly, you mustn't have a heart if you take pleasure in reading about 14 year old kids shooting people at random. Secondly, errrm. yeah. you mustn't have a heart.
During this book i sometimes had to stop and just stare into the distance, trying to shake of my feelings of panic, and fear, and total desperation; because i felt inside the story.
I was Leah Jackson. I was hiding up in the ceiling to get away from the shootings, I was watching havoc reign below me; I was panicking over my brother, Connor, and I was hopelessly trying to convince myself he wasn't in on it, he couldn't be in on it all. And failing.
When a book pulls me into the action and feel the emotions of the main character i automatically give the book a thumbs up, and that's what happened with this book. Although while it made me feel all this pain, and rage, and tension, a few things irked me slightly.
One was the little bits of bad language dotted around. If you read my reviews you'll know even the slightest bit of bad language puts me off: i just feel like it is never necessary, there are other ways to convey feelings than by mouthing off at the situation; however, in this case, it was understandable, yet i still didn't really like it.
Secondly, although it was a main part of the plot, i felt like there was a slight bit of ''politics'' underlying the story-line, i don't know. *just the fact that the government was behind it all maybe me feel slightly uncomfortable, like when reading about how the Capitol is the ''bad place'' in The Hunger Games and that President Snow is so controlling and kills children just to instill fear into the public*..but maybe i'm just reading too much into it...
Overall, Siege was an intense and disturbing read and will snatch you into the story within a matter of seconds. And the end, while, i thought, obvious, was still an emotional, and a powerful way to finish. This story will shock you, scare you and make you live the life of Leah Jackson; a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time.
NOTE: so i don't think people understood me when i said i didn't 'enjoy' the book. I did. Not in the dictionary (''to experience with joy'') definition though. This was no joyful, fluffy, happy, book. It was dark and full of gruesome little details. But i didn't dislike the book.
October 24, 2015
Small tip, when you start reading this book do it with enough time to finish in one sitting – because it is impossible to put down.
Siege is a book that left me feeling like my emotions had been put through a cheese-grater. I was raw, I was drained, I was bereft. Given the subject I wasn’t exactly expecting rainbows but truth be told I didn’t anticipate being such an emotional wreck at the end of Siege. One of the reasons is the fact that Leah’s future is too plausible. That thought terrifies me.
I can only compliment the storytelling and development of Leah’s character. She’s scared, confused and falters. In a way I imagine it would be easier to write a story like this with a protagonist that plays hero from the start. Leah is amazing because she is so heroic without knowing it.
From the first chapter my emotions were running high and I never lost that feeling, if anything the more I read the more those feelings grew. The ending is amazing.
Sarah Mussi, all I can say is “wow!”
Siege is a book that left me feeling like my emotions had been put through a cheese-grater. I was raw, I was drained, I was bereft. Given the subject I wasn’t exactly expecting rainbows but truth be told I didn’t anticipate being such an emotional wreck at the end of Siege. One of the reasons is the fact that Leah’s future is too plausible. That thought terrifies me.
I can only compliment the storytelling and development of Leah’s character. She’s scared, confused and falters. In a way I imagine it would be easier to write a story like this with a protagonist that plays hero from the start. Leah is amazing because she is so heroic without knowing it.
From the first chapter my emotions were running high and I never lost that feeling, if anything the more I read the more those feelings grew. The ending is amazing.
Sarah Mussi, all I can say is “wow!”
May 21, 2013
You can see the full review at Chocolate Chunky Munkie
Wow! What an explosive book this was. Within the first few pages I was gripped. Great concept for a book and one hell of a ride from start to finish. It's horrific and emotional.
There is so much tension in this book, I did have to take a few breaks from it, I don't think my nerves would have coped. The main character Leah dodges so many bad situations that you wonder if she indeed possesses super human powers, but then again the will to survive can just give you that extra bit of strength. I did feel quite exhausted after I finished this book, my mind is still digesting all the story.
There is definitely the feel of big brother in this one and you could liken it to the novel 1984, but obviously it is set in the future and the location is in a high school. Well I say high school it feels more like a prison with places being put on lock down, including the toilets.
I liken this book to bungee jumping the adrenaline kicks in and you feel like you're on a rush. I do think this will be one of my top books of the year. So if you haven't got a copy then I urge you to get one!! And get one now!!
Overall:
I would highly recommend this book, it was edgy and original and had me gripped from start to finish.
My Thoughts on the Cover:
I just love this colourful cover, it's certainly an eye catcher. I think the bullet hole in the front is genius.
Wow! What an explosive book this was. Within the first few pages I was gripped. Great concept for a book and one hell of a ride from start to finish. It's horrific and emotional.
There is so much tension in this book, I did have to take a few breaks from it, I don't think my nerves would have coped. The main character Leah dodges so many bad situations that you wonder if she indeed possesses super human powers, but then again the will to survive can just give you that extra bit of strength. I did feel quite exhausted after I finished this book, my mind is still digesting all the story.
There is definitely the feel of big brother in this one and you could liken it to the novel 1984, but obviously it is set in the future and the location is in a high school. Well I say high school it feels more like a prison with places being put on lock down, including the toilets.
I liken this book to bungee jumping the adrenaline kicks in and you feel like you're on a rush. I do think this will be one of my top books of the year. So if you haven't got a copy then I urge you to get one!! And get one now!!
Overall:
I would highly recommend this book, it was edgy and original and had me gripped from start to finish.
My Thoughts on the Cover:
I just love this colourful cover, it's certainly an eye catcher. I think the bullet hole in the front is genius.
October 31, 2014
WOW! This book was probably one of the best books I have read this year, no joke!! The only thing that held me back from giving it the fifth star was the ending. I really, really didn't like the ending, I would've liked to see them escape, because there was so much build up to a climax, and you're constantly kept on your toes and then it's just a bit of a disappointment.
Although this handled a really confronting issue, the way it was written was really beautifully. If I had the time I would've read it in a single sitting. It was freaking amazing how life like it was. I honestly felt like I was there with Leah in the school. The detailed descriptions and the revelations really involved the reader, and made it feel like you were really Leah.
There were so many moments where I thought Leah was going to die for sure, but the way Sarah Mussi kept her alive, without making it drag out was so so awesome. Nothing in the book was boring, I didn't ever want to put it down. The best thing about this book was that it kept me on edge for the entirety. Anton I found was a really interesting character, and I think the book needed that support figure for Leah. How he managed to keep everything on the down low was pretty amazing!
Overall, I would highly recommend this book, it was certainly one of a kind and one I thought I wouldn't enjoy. It's a really confronting book, but very much enjoyable!
Although this handled a really confronting issue, the way it was written was really beautifully. If I had the time I would've read it in a single sitting. It was freaking amazing how life like it was. I honestly felt like I was there with Leah in the school. The detailed descriptions and the revelations really involved the reader, and made it feel like you were really Leah.
There were so many moments where I thought Leah was going to die for sure, but the way Sarah Mussi kept her alive, without making it drag out was so so awesome. Nothing in the book was boring, I didn't ever want to put it down. The best thing about this book was that it kept me on edge for the entirety. Anton I found was a really interesting character, and I think the book needed that support figure for Leah. How he managed to keep everything on the down low was pretty amazing!
Overall, I would highly recommend this book, it was certainly one of a kind and one I thought I wouldn't enjoy. It's a really confronting book, but very much enjoyable!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2016
I didn't finish this book for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is that I just wasn't that interested in the story that was being developed I kind of already figured out what was going to happen and overall I found the book a bit boring.
August 6, 2014
This is definitely one of my favourite books of the year!
Leah Jackson was just an ordinary sixteen year old school-girl at YOU OP 78, until the morning the Eternal Knights storm through the school, spree killing anyone in their way. Leah has the will to survive, but at what cost?
Let me start by saying I had no idea what this book was actually about and I had to re-read the first few pages a few times for it to sink in as I was just in utter shock.
Siege never loses its intensity, I was constantly on edge just itching to see how it all folds out. And even when there is no major action going on, the scenes are still just as riveting.
Leah is an incredibly well-written, strong female character. She has a will to survive, but is not only looking out for 'Number One'. Overall she is brave. Not just in the "I'm strong, I can beat this, Come at me!" sort of way, but by being unselfish and knowing what needs to be done. And, her weaknesses are exploited, which is always a plus in novels. I love being introduced to a characters flaws and vulnerabilities, its the real thing.
The issues presented in this story are serious, confronting and just plain scary. There is something bigger going on than just a bunch of bored and angry teenagers with guns.
Leah Jackson was just an ordinary sixteen year old school-girl at YOU OP 78, until the morning the Eternal Knights storm through the school, spree killing anyone in their way. Leah has the will to survive, but at what cost?
Let me start by saying I had no idea what this book was actually about and I had to re-read the first few pages a few times for it to sink in as I was just in utter shock.
Siege never loses its intensity, I was constantly on edge just itching to see how it all folds out. And even when there is no major action going on, the scenes are still just as riveting.
Leah is an incredibly well-written, strong female character. She has a will to survive, but is not only looking out for 'Number One'. Overall she is brave. Not just in the "I'm strong, I can beat this, Come at me!" sort of way, but by being unselfish and knowing what needs to be done. And, her weaknesses are exploited, which is always a plus in novels. I love being introduced to a characters flaws and vulnerabilities, its the real thing.
The issues presented in this story are serious, confronting and just plain scary. There is something bigger going on than just a bunch of bored and angry teenagers with guns.
Want to read
February 12, 2013This one sounds so interesting... but the thought of reading this right now makes me shudder. Shootings. Not really something I'd like to read about, fictional or not. But it's a startling truth that has happened in our world, so I think it's important that these kinds of books are written--not just shoved under the carpet. I'm not sure if this book will be written such that it glorifies these acts or not, but I'll read it (someday) and get back to you on it.
Even the cover gives me the jeebs. Thanks for the review copy, T @ Hachette!
Even the cover gives me the jeebs. Thanks for the review copy, T @ Hachette!
Read
March 22, 2013Hard to read, harder to review, difficult to rate.
Confronting, disturbing, depressing and ultimately heart- breaking.
Leah's determination to save everyone is courageous. Not a book for everyone.
Confronting, disturbing, depressing and ultimately heart- breaking.
Leah's determination to save everyone is courageous. Not a book for everyone.
January 5, 2017
Couldn't put this one down. Really enjoyed it. I got quite invested, and found myself screaming at the main character...alot. Interesting plot twist - not sure how I feel about. But overall - enjoyed it, and it messed with my heart.
April 12, 2013
Even though I had to keep reading until the end there is no way I will be giving this to any teenagers to read. Confronting, disturbing and violent.
May 7, 2013
Disturbing beyond belief.
May 29, 2019
Leah is in school when suddenly, it's lock down.
Gunmen raid the school armed with guns and shoot to kill many and any students.
Only they're also students.
One particular stands out to Leah, Connor, her brother.
As she fights to survive she braves danger by trying to help save others while keeping herself alive, get help via her phone and bargain with the gunmen.
Only as she starts to realise, the kids are just a ruse and the government have a big roll to play in the bloodbath horror.
This was a sinister read all about the real danger behind some acts of the government and what they could do. I really enjoyed this book it was told over the space of a day in the school and honestly it was a book I just couldn't put down and the ending, hit me right in the heart.
Gunmen raid the school armed with guns and shoot to kill many and any students.
Only they're also students.
One particular stands out to Leah, Connor, her brother.
As she fights to survive she braves danger by trying to help save others while keeping herself alive, get help via her phone and bargain with the gunmen.
Only as she starts to realise, the kids are just a ruse and the government have a big roll to play in the bloodbath horror.
This was a sinister read all about the real danger behind some acts of the government and what they could do. I really enjoyed this book it was told over the space of a day in the school and honestly it was a book I just couldn't put down and the ending, hit me right in the heart.
June 4, 2018
A day like any other becomes every parent's, student's and teacher's worst nightmare. Leah Jackson is in detention when the shooting starts: A group of heavily armed younger boys are firing at everything and everyone inside, and within minutes Leah witnesses multiple casualties. Along with a fellow student, she manages to find a hiding spot and the first wave of violence passes her by - but the nightmare has just begun. With the school's security lock down procedure activated, the students and teachers are now trapped in the building along with the shooters... and it doesn't look like help will be coming any time soon. In fact, something even more sinister might be going on.
Damn, this was bleak. Visceral, violent and disturbing - the kind of book that keeps you glued to the page all the way through.
Damn, this was bleak. Visceral, violent and disturbing - the kind of book that keeps you glued to the page all the way through.
May 13, 2022
This was an interesting book to see how it all panned out in the end. How they resolved the Year 9 shooters to back down and let everyone one free. The parts that were confusing in the book is how Leah, (The main character) and a classmate Anton, work their way around in the ceiling. They crawl and walk around in the ceiling to different rooms just confused me. You kinda have to read the book to understand what I'm saying. They also left it as a cliffhanger not mentioning the girl Ruby in the library storeroom, only mentioning Aliesha in getting her out when Leah and Anton were all escaping out of the school with the students and teachers too.
November 27, 2018
I thought this was an amazing book that had me gripped from the very first page! It not only explore the themes of gun violence, it looks at family relationships, friendships and courage. I must admit k was disappointed with the ending but understand how easy it would have been for the two hero's to have walked away. This is a text that is potentially worth exploring with a KS2 class, especially when looking at chronological events and that particular style of writing. Would most definitely read again.
November 3, 2016
WOW!!!! I wasn't expecting that. Good book! The pacing of this book and how it was written was well put into order; I couldn't put it down. The constant movement and events in the book were good. The MC was likable. If you have read this book. I think you should pick it up at a local library, buy or borrow it. Doesn't matter you definitely wouldn't be disappointed at all. this book had my full attention.
March 11, 2023
SCHOOL SHOOTING, OUT CAST, HIDE
June 2, 2017
What do you do when the worst happens? When two boys storm into your detention, shoot your teacher in the head and get the rest of the class to file out to their potential deaths? What do you do when your decisions led to a child being shot because your chances of survival were better without her? What do you do when you have a nasty suspicion that your own brother is in that room full of children and that he’s holding a gun? Most importantly, what do you do when nothing makes sense? When something simply doesn’t add up and there seem to be reasons behind the reasons?
Siege is gritty and violet, it’s powerful and unrelenting, grabbing hold of you by the gut, refusing to let go until the last page has been turned. It’s 2020 UK and the right wing nut jobs are in control, austerity measures have segregated society. Free healthcare is a thing of the past and Leah’s mother is mire deep in depression with no available help, leaving Leah to run the family. Parents with no money have no choice but to send their children to the most basic of schools, and perhaps even that slim chance of education is now at risk from the Volunteer Programs. By Volunteer Programs, read enforced slave labour at the expense of an education because really, what are these kids good for?
From the moment the first shots are fired to the bitter end this is a devastating roller coaster ride as you travel with Leah through the air ducts, trying to stay alive but also desperately trying to get out and even more importantly perhaps, find answers. No punches are pulled. The Lock Down system that is meant to be so good at stopping people from getting in is now what I trapping Leah in and despite contact with the outside world, nobody looks to be shutting it down. The Eternal Knights have gained control of the CCTV and therefore the corridors and Leah finds out early that mistakes will be costly. From the air vents to the corridors, your world narrows down to this one day and this single girl’s fear and bravery.
But what is perhaps most effective of all at drawing you in, is that this isn’t just a school shooting story; so well known by now in America at least. It is of course a school shooting story and has all of the intense drama and nail biting tension of a fight for your life against your own school peers. But it isn’t just that, it’s far deeper. And where Sarah Mussi really succeeds here is in creating a political scene outside of the school walls, despite all of the action taking place within one day and never leaving those walls. Because right from the very start, Leah starts asking some difficult questions; where did those boys get the money for the guns? Where did they get the brains to plan this? Something isn’t sitting right. Someone has an ulterior motive.
Narrated from a first person perspective, you are stuck inside Leah Jacksons head from beginning to end and it is therefore a remarkably good job that Leah Jackson isn’t overly annoying. Her character is well done although perhaps at times a trifle inconsistent as sometimes her vocabulary and thought processes seem to belong to a young teenager rather than sixteen years old. Other times her thought processes and conclusions are far more adult and with more apparent life experience behind them than she actually has. Her vocabulary is rather limited as well, although that’s to be expected in a world where we don’t bother to educate the poor kids. Overall, she is a realistic teenager and you easily get behind her and into her head as she crawls and scurries, trying to survive but also trying to save.
There is one thing to really remember before picking this book up though and that is that it truly doesn’t pull its punches. People die. Children die. Children as young as six are executed against the bookcase for being scared and in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a fast paced and dramatic book that doesn’t let you think, doesn’t let you breathe as it propels you through the worst day in Leah’s life and you are in her thoughts, in her head constantly. There is no respite. It’s a stunningly powerful and immersive book but don’t get me wrong, it is disturbing and it is terrifying. Not least because it could happen. Give the Tory’s another ten years in power and it could happen. The events are not all that far away from reality. And that is perhaps more scary than the violence.
===Do I Recommend?===
Yes. This is the second of Sarah Mussi’s books that I have read with the first being _Riot_. That I found to be overly simplistic with a soppy romance arc ruining it and an unrealistic main character who also happened to be extremely annoying. I’m glad that I didn’t let it stop me from reading this. Because this is disturbing and powerful, gutsy and gripping and was read in one sitting from beginning to end. It isn’t a book for young children for obvious reasons but it’s one of the more powerful teenage dystopian fiction books I have read in a long while.
Siege is gritty and violet, it’s powerful and unrelenting, grabbing hold of you by the gut, refusing to let go until the last page has been turned. It’s 2020 UK and the right wing nut jobs are in control, austerity measures have segregated society. Free healthcare is a thing of the past and Leah’s mother is mire deep in depression with no available help, leaving Leah to run the family. Parents with no money have no choice but to send their children to the most basic of schools, and perhaps even that slim chance of education is now at risk from the Volunteer Programs. By Volunteer Programs, read enforced slave labour at the expense of an education because really, what are these kids good for?
From the moment the first shots are fired to the bitter end this is a devastating roller coaster ride as you travel with Leah through the air ducts, trying to stay alive but also desperately trying to get out and even more importantly perhaps, find answers. No punches are pulled. The Lock Down system that is meant to be so good at stopping people from getting in is now what I trapping Leah in and despite contact with the outside world, nobody looks to be shutting it down. The Eternal Knights have gained control of the CCTV and therefore the corridors and Leah finds out early that mistakes will be costly. From the air vents to the corridors, your world narrows down to this one day and this single girl’s fear and bravery.
But what is perhaps most effective of all at drawing you in, is that this isn’t just a school shooting story; so well known by now in America at least. It is of course a school shooting story and has all of the intense drama and nail biting tension of a fight for your life against your own school peers. But it isn’t just that, it’s far deeper. And where Sarah Mussi really succeeds here is in creating a political scene outside of the school walls, despite all of the action taking place within one day and never leaving those walls. Because right from the very start, Leah starts asking some difficult questions; where did those boys get the money for the guns? Where did they get the brains to plan this? Something isn’t sitting right. Someone has an ulterior motive.
Narrated from a first person perspective, you are stuck inside Leah Jacksons head from beginning to end and it is therefore a remarkably good job that Leah Jackson isn’t overly annoying. Her character is well done although perhaps at times a trifle inconsistent as sometimes her vocabulary and thought processes seem to belong to a young teenager rather than sixteen years old. Other times her thought processes and conclusions are far more adult and with more apparent life experience behind them than she actually has. Her vocabulary is rather limited as well, although that’s to be expected in a world where we don’t bother to educate the poor kids. Overall, she is a realistic teenager and you easily get behind her and into her head as she crawls and scurries, trying to survive but also trying to save.
There is one thing to really remember before picking this book up though and that is that it truly doesn’t pull its punches. People die. Children die. Children as young as six are executed against the bookcase for being scared and in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a fast paced and dramatic book that doesn’t let you think, doesn’t let you breathe as it propels you through the worst day in Leah’s life and you are in her thoughts, in her head constantly. There is no respite. It’s a stunningly powerful and immersive book but don’t get me wrong, it is disturbing and it is terrifying. Not least because it could happen. Give the Tory’s another ten years in power and it could happen. The events are not all that far away from reality. And that is perhaps more scary than the violence.
===Do I Recommend?===
Yes. This is the second of Sarah Mussi’s books that I have read with the first being _Riot_. That I found to be overly simplistic with a soppy romance arc ruining it and an unrealistic main character who also happened to be extremely annoying. I’m glad that I didn’t let it stop me from reading this. Because this is disturbing and powerful, gutsy and gripping and was read in one sitting from beginning to end. It isn’t a book for young children for obvious reasons but it’s one of the more powerful teenage dystopian fiction books I have read in a long while.
February 14, 2014
Leah is in detention when her armed classmates come in and start shooting. She knows she must find somewhere safe to hide as she can't get out of the school-and she must find out if her younger brother is one of the shooters. Isolated and trapped, Leah wants to get help from outside which might mean risking being seen by the killers.
I bought this book because I thought that it would be interesting to read a book that takes place during a school shooting and siege. For the first few chapters the book pretty much delivered what I expected...running from the killers, trying to find a safe place to hide and witnessing others being shot. For the most part, these chapters pretty much delivered. Sadly the book went rapidly downhill after that, turning a good idea into a complete mess, to put it bluntly. Other than the start, there wasn't much else that I really liked about this book.
Leah is not exactly likeable. She is obviously a frequent troublemaker, hence being quite often in detention, she doesn't seem to think much of anyone including the girls that are meant to be her friends, and she is just written as the annoying angst filled anti authority teen that bugs me in this kind of book. There are too many excuses offered for why these teens are bad...the usual thing of poverty, social problems etc. Having a bad start in life is not a reason to murder your classmates in my opinion. Anyway, we know Leah suspects that her brother is one of the shooters but she doesn't need to remind us of that every second page, or that she hates him, or that she wants to know if he is involved. We get it ok? No need to hit us over the head with it again and again.
There is no real structure to the book or the writing. We get hints that this is a dystopian novel with a grim school system and hardline government but it isn't really explained or developed. We just have to accept that the government is bad and that's it whereas I like to know why the world is this way and what caused it. Character development was lacking and this led to me not really caring who lived and died in it, which is never a good thing when I'm reading a book. The language used is slang. Now I don't mind slang or regional dialects in books if the sentences make sense but in this case the way Leah's thoughts are presented are jumbled and it is not always easy to get what she is raving on about. I found this book very frustrating to read and didn't always get what the author was trying to do with it.
The plot. The further the book went, the more far-fetched the plot became. Obviously Leah couldn't remain hidden all through the book but her reasons for leaving her safe hiding places were dumb, and her decision making risked the lives of the few people that were safe from the gang. The whole interaction with the reporter with Leah agreeing to run around the school risking her life to film the killers and hostages in exchange for money just felt ridiculous to me. Two kids trying to defuse bombs and end the siege was just over the top. These nuts have been trying to kill you all through the book and you walk up to them and sort it all out in ten minutes with the 'we won't tell on you if you stop' nonsense? The whole second half of the book just went mental and I lost all interest.
I'd describe this book in the genre of thriller with a slight dystopian element. Unfortunately I wouldn't really recommend it.
I bought this book because I thought that it would be interesting to read a book that takes place during a school shooting and siege. For the first few chapters the book pretty much delivered what I expected...running from the killers, trying to find a safe place to hide and witnessing others being shot. For the most part, these chapters pretty much delivered. Sadly the book went rapidly downhill after that, turning a good idea into a complete mess, to put it bluntly. Other than the start, there wasn't much else that I really liked about this book.
Leah is not exactly likeable. She is obviously a frequent troublemaker, hence being quite often in detention, she doesn't seem to think much of anyone including the girls that are meant to be her friends, and she is just written as the annoying angst filled anti authority teen that bugs me in this kind of book. There are too many excuses offered for why these teens are bad...the usual thing of poverty, social problems etc. Having a bad start in life is not a reason to murder your classmates in my opinion. Anyway, we know Leah suspects that her brother is one of the shooters but she doesn't need to remind us of that every second page, or that she hates him, or that she wants to know if he is involved. We get it ok? No need to hit us over the head with it again and again.
There is no real structure to the book or the writing. We get hints that this is a dystopian novel with a grim school system and hardline government but it isn't really explained or developed. We just have to accept that the government is bad and that's it whereas I like to know why the world is this way and what caused it. Character development was lacking and this led to me not really caring who lived and died in it, which is never a good thing when I'm reading a book. The language used is slang. Now I don't mind slang or regional dialects in books if the sentences make sense but in this case the way Leah's thoughts are presented are jumbled and it is not always easy to get what she is raving on about. I found this book very frustrating to read and didn't always get what the author was trying to do with it.
The plot. The further the book went, the more far-fetched the plot became. Obviously Leah couldn't remain hidden all through the book but her reasons for leaving her safe hiding places were dumb, and her decision making risked the lives of the few people that were safe from the gang. The whole interaction with the reporter with Leah agreeing to run around the school risking her life to film the killers and hostages in exchange for money just felt ridiculous to me. Two kids trying to defuse bombs and end the siege was just over the top. These nuts have been trying to kill you all through the book and you walk up to them and sort it all out in ten minutes with the 'we won't tell on you if you stop' nonsense? The whole second half of the book just went mental and I lost all interest.
I'd describe this book in the genre of thriller with a slight dystopian element. Unfortunately I wouldn't really recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2014
The story takes place within a school called You OP 78. Leah Jackson (16) is a feisty and headstrong teenage girl partly due to being the eldest within her one parent family unit where she lives with her mother and two siblings.
I really liked the fact that this book portrays a strong female lead with plenty of guts and determination yet there is also tenderness under all this strength; a fragility and vulnerability which makes you want to care, comfort and nurture her by removing her from her current situation. You really do care for her and I think the writer has been quite clever here in creating a very likeable character. I also think many teenage girls will and can identify with her too. I loved the way the writer portrays the teenage female mind and how it is impressionable, she thinks and questions her morality continuously and is anxious over a number of things. I think this is accurate; being a teenager you question a lot of things in life.
I think what particularly makes this a good book is the electric atmosphere that the writer creates. It is a very fast paced and intense read, and quite thought provoking at times. It certainly makes you sit on the edge of your seat. I could not put the book down. Although this book is targeted at a young audience, I think it is best suited for older teens as I feel a 12 or 13 year old would find it quite sinister and dark in places.
The story is ultimately about power, leadership, loyalty, bravery, friendship and conspiracy. It also highlights and examines Leah’s family bonds, and in particular the bond between Leah and her brother, Connor, who seems to be part of a gang called the Eternal Knights who set out to cause mayhem across the school. Their aim is to take sole control of the whole school, having absolutely no remorse in stopping anyone who gets in their way.
As the story unfolds, the Eternal Knights start to dictate and capture innocent students and teachers in order to take full control of the school. It is quite shocking to envisage, but in other ways it is socially current as it highlights gang culture and in particular how the impact of gangs can arise. Having worked previously as a Teacher Assistant, I found the characters very true to life; there were a lot of behavioural traits and emotions that I recognised from different pupils I have encountered over the past 10 years.
Leah battles to survive with her friend, Anton, mainly hiding in the ceiling. There are a lot of tense moments and you find yourself as a reader willing Leah and Anton on, you want them to escape and survive. The intensity of being scared is portrayed extremely well, and there are also a few touching moments which are poignant and beautifully written, and personally I find that she plays a perfect hero in every sense of the word.
I would definitely recommend this book, and would be happy for my own daughter to read the story once she turns 15.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book – superbly crafted – a truly gifted writer.
I really liked the fact that this book portrays a strong female lead with plenty of guts and determination yet there is also tenderness under all this strength; a fragility and vulnerability which makes you want to care, comfort and nurture her by removing her from her current situation. You really do care for her and I think the writer has been quite clever here in creating a very likeable character. I also think many teenage girls will and can identify with her too. I loved the way the writer portrays the teenage female mind and how it is impressionable, she thinks and questions her morality continuously and is anxious over a number of things. I think this is accurate; being a teenager you question a lot of things in life.
I think what particularly makes this a good book is the electric atmosphere that the writer creates. It is a very fast paced and intense read, and quite thought provoking at times. It certainly makes you sit on the edge of your seat. I could not put the book down. Although this book is targeted at a young audience, I think it is best suited for older teens as I feel a 12 or 13 year old would find it quite sinister and dark in places.
The story is ultimately about power, leadership, loyalty, bravery, friendship and conspiracy. It also highlights and examines Leah’s family bonds, and in particular the bond between Leah and her brother, Connor, who seems to be part of a gang called the Eternal Knights who set out to cause mayhem across the school. Their aim is to take sole control of the whole school, having absolutely no remorse in stopping anyone who gets in their way.
As the story unfolds, the Eternal Knights start to dictate and capture innocent students and teachers in order to take full control of the school. It is quite shocking to envisage, but in other ways it is socially current as it highlights gang culture and in particular how the impact of gangs can arise. Having worked previously as a Teacher Assistant, I found the characters very true to life; there were a lot of behavioural traits and emotions that I recognised from different pupils I have encountered over the past 10 years.
Leah battles to survive with her friend, Anton, mainly hiding in the ceiling. There are a lot of tense moments and you find yourself as a reader willing Leah and Anton on, you want them to escape and survive. The intensity of being scared is portrayed extremely well, and there are also a few touching moments which are poignant and beautifully written, and personally I find that she plays a perfect hero in every sense of the word.
I would definitely recommend this book, and would be happy for my own daughter to read the story once she turns 15.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book – superbly crafted – a truly gifted writer.
December 4, 2015
‘Siege’ is an intense and confronting novel. You can’t read it without getting emotional. In light of current situations, a high school gun and hostage situation is a pretty powerful topic, and Sarah Mussi captures the danger and destruction that goes along with it very well.
The book is set slightly in the future where kids from economically disadvantaged families are sent to high security schools to receive courtesy education with no actual intent to send them into better situations – like college or high paying jobs - making the lives of the students seem difficult already. But when a group of Year 9 boys bring weapons into the school and start shooting and rounding up students and teachers in a hostage attempt, things get a little more dangerous. Only a handful of students escape being rounded up, but are still directly in danger of being shot at just for the fun of it – it’s extremely hard to read about. I wasn't sure what I was expecting at first: a daring rescue attempt? Or some perfect world that hit a speed bump in the shape of a few guns? But what I got was a lot more complicated. I enjoyed that it was such a risky topic. Not everything in the world is sunshine and daisies, and having novels reflect that is important.
The story is told from Leah Jackson’s point a view; a student who manages to escape being rounded up, only to be chased all over the school with the threat of being killed. None of that stops her from trying desperately to save herself, the other students and most importantly, her brother, who may or may not be one of the Year 9 gunmen. I really admired Leah. All she wants in life is to do something meaningful. She looks after her siblings the best she can and just wants a better life. I was impressed with the warring nature of her voice; how she struggles to decide to save herself or try and save others and is forced to question whether it’s right for one person to die in order for the rest to live. Leah’s voice is a little tricky to get used to. At times she sounded like a young teen, even though she was supposed to be older than her brother. But the rest of the time she was very realistic. And I felt for her.
I was surprised at the way the hostage situation was handled from the outside. Government involvement isn’t always helpful in Mussi’s world. And I was definitely shocked at the way the story ended. I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting what happened and I still can’t believe it. I was so emotionally involved in the story by the end of the book, that the end hit me powerfully.
And intense and shocking read. I’d definitely recommend it.
4/5 stars
The book is set slightly in the future where kids from economically disadvantaged families are sent to high security schools to receive courtesy education with no actual intent to send them into better situations – like college or high paying jobs - making the lives of the students seem difficult already. But when a group of Year 9 boys bring weapons into the school and start shooting and rounding up students and teachers in a hostage attempt, things get a little more dangerous. Only a handful of students escape being rounded up, but are still directly in danger of being shot at just for the fun of it – it’s extremely hard to read about. I wasn't sure what I was expecting at first: a daring rescue attempt? Or some perfect world that hit a speed bump in the shape of a few guns? But what I got was a lot more complicated. I enjoyed that it was such a risky topic. Not everything in the world is sunshine and daisies, and having novels reflect that is important.
The story is told from Leah Jackson’s point a view; a student who manages to escape being rounded up, only to be chased all over the school with the threat of being killed. None of that stops her from trying desperately to save herself, the other students and most importantly, her brother, who may or may not be one of the Year 9 gunmen. I really admired Leah. All she wants in life is to do something meaningful. She looks after her siblings the best she can and just wants a better life. I was impressed with the warring nature of her voice; how she struggles to decide to save herself or try and save others and is forced to question whether it’s right for one person to die in order for the rest to live. Leah’s voice is a little tricky to get used to. At times she sounded like a young teen, even though she was supposed to be older than her brother. But the rest of the time she was very realistic. And I felt for her.
I was surprised at the way the hostage situation was handled from the outside. Government involvement isn’t always helpful in Mussi’s world. And I was definitely shocked at the way the story ended. I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting what happened and I still can’t believe it. I was so emotionally involved in the story by the end of the book, that the end hit me powerfully.
And intense and shocking read. I’d definitely recommend it.
4/5 stars
September 6, 2018
The subtleness of Siege was good to make it a kind of thriller but it was quite unrealistic and confused me a lot. I didn't feel like this was something to happen in the UK , let alone the government trying to kill students at free schools?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2013
Shocking, raw and powerful - a fab YA thriller
I know that some people have found this to be too violent. It is certainly not suitable for the younger end of the YA spectrum. However, the violence is not gratuitous and the novel is thought-provoking and challenging enough to justify its shock value (think Clockwork Orange, perhaps).
Written in a strong first person, present tense voice, and set in 2020, Siege introduces us to Leah Jackson at the precise moment a group of boys open fire in assembly. But since she was late to school and is in detention, she doesn't immediately realise what is happening. The novel then follows her as she works to avoid being shot, to escape and raise the alarm, travelling through air vents and crawling across ceiling tiles. Twists and turns abound as Leah runs into difficulty after difficulty in this tightly-plotted thriller that will have you holding your breath. Die Hard in a school is an appropriate description of this book, with the themes of containment and against-the-odds battle to protect the innocent and stop the guilty.
Her escape is hampered by the nature of her school. In this version of the near future, society has fractured even further and the schools are more obviously streamed by social class. Leah's school is built to contain and restrain, founded on the assumption that lower-class kids are Trouble. This means that once the school goes into Lock Down, escape is not a simple matter.
I loved the character of Leah. Loved her speech patterns ("That don't sound right."), her bravery and her resourcefulness. She's been used to looking after the family, and I found it easy to sympathise with her and her nagging worry that her brother, Connor, may be one of the boys at the centre of all this. Could she have prevented it? Should she have done more to help him? This additional personal layer of sickening guilt is just enough to rack up the tension even higher.
I found this to be an excellent read, right on the money for our times. Sarah Mussi has something to say about social deprivation, violence and responsibility and she conveys it in terms that are both accessible and enjoyable to read. Yes, there is violence and some scenes are graphic, but many kids are seeing worse on games consoles and tv screens every day - and in a purely 'entertaining' way without the subtle social analysis that is present here.
I know that some people have found this to be too violent. It is certainly not suitable for the younger end of the YA spectrum. However, the violence is not gratuitous and the novel is thought-provoking and challenging enough to justify its shock value (think Clockwork Orange, perhaps).
Written in a strong first person, present tense voice, and set in 2020, Siege introduces us to Leah Jackson at the precise moment a group of boys open fire in assembly. But since she was late to school and is in detention, she doesn't immediately realise what is happening. The novel then follows her as she works to avoid being shot, to escape and raise the alarm, travelling through air vents and crawling across ceiling tiles. Twists and turns abound as Leah runs into difficulty after difficulty in this tightly-plotted thriller that will have you holding your breath. Die Hard in a school is an appropriate description of this book, with the themes of containment and against-the-odds battle to protect the innocent and stop the guilty.
Her escape is hampered by the nature of her school. In this version of the near future, society has fractured even further and the schools are more obviously streamed by social class. Leah's school is built to contain and restrain, founded on the assumption that lower-class kids are Trouble. This means that once the school goes into Lock Down, escape is not a simple matter.
I loved the character of Leah. Loved her speech patterns ("That don't sound right."), her bravery and her resourcefulness. She's been used to looking after the family, and I found it easy to sympathise with her and her nagging worry that her brother, Connor, may be one of the boys at the centre of all this. Could she have prevented it? Should she have done more to help him? This additional personal layer of sickening guilt is just enough to rack up the tension even higher.
I found this to be an excellent read, right on the money for our times. Sarah Mussi has something to say about social deprivation, violence and responsibility and she conveys it in terms that are both accessible and enjoyable to read. Yes, there is violence and some scenes are graphic, but many kids are seeing worse on games consoles and tv screens every day - and in a purely 'entertaining' way without the subtle social analysis that is present here.
May 11, 2014
Siege by Sarah Mussi published by Hodder Children's Books September 2013
Leah Jackson is a brave. Leah Jackson is scared. She is our heroine and she is just an ordinary girl. Leah Jackson is all of these things, often in the same chapter. When Leah's school is taken over by a group of violent, gun-toting Year 9 students called the Black Knights and the shooting starts she is in a fight for survival.
The narrative is taut and initially, irritating. We are thrown into Leah's first person vernacular and have to work things out from there as she scarpers for her life, scrabbling into the ceiling to avoid the initial carnage as the hostage-takers arrive. Siege is set slightly in the future, in a pessimistic alternate version of the UK where perhaps UKIP types have won elections, grubbing the levers of power with prejudiced politics.
Leah fights to survive and her and a nerdy side-kick, Anton, work as some kind of team to undermine the hostage-takers, one of which, it turns out, is Leah's own elder brother, Connor. Leah is sassy, strong and the salt of the earth. Her vernacular is ordinary and jarring, her articulation not spot on, but slowly we warm to her and her pulsing desire to survive. The story is intense, there are close calls and slowly but surely we begin to realise that this might not just be a straight Siege. Leah's school is part of an academy chain for working classes, a way of coralling ne'er-do-wells under one roof in a manner that means they can be controlled. The dark hand of a corrupt government is foreshadowed, but never actually fully explained, as we rush pell-mell to the climatic scenes in the school's Gym.
Leah is inspirational and a fighter and her plight keeps you turning to the last page. I listened to this on audiobook brilliantly read by Kate Harbour. This has been difficult review to write without delivering inadvertent spoilers that would ruin for you.
Does Leah survive? Does Anton? What happens to Connor? Do they discover what the hell is really going on?
You're going to need to buy it to find out, but excellent work all round, a thoroughly nail-biting read with some fantastic splatter-punk violence too. You will see red, literally.
**** (Four stars)
Leah Jackson is a brave. Leah Jackson is scared. She is our heroine and she is just an ordinary girl. Leah Jackson is all of these things, often in the same chapter. When Leah's school is taken over by a group of violent, gun-toting Year 9 students called the Black Knights and the shooting starts she is in a fight for survival.
The narrative is taut and initially, irritating. We are thrown into Leah's first person vernacular and have to work things out from there as she scarpers for her life, scrabbling into the ceiling to avoid the initial carnage as the hostage-takers arrive. Siege is set slightly in the future, in a pessimistic alternate version of the UK where perhaps UKIP types have won elections, grubbing the levers of power with prejudiced politics.
Leah fights to survive and her and a nerdy side-kick, Anton, work as some kind of team to undermine the hostage-takers, one of which, it turns out, is Leah's own elder brother, Connor. Leah is sassy, strong and the salt of the earth. Her vernacular is ordinary and jarring, her articulation not spot on, but slowly we warm to her and her pulsing desire to survive. The story is intense, there are close calls and slowly but surely we begin to realise that this might not just be a straight Siege. Leah's school is part of an academy chain for working classes, a way of coralling ne'er-do-wells under one roof in a manner that means they can be controlled. The dark hand of a corrupt government is foreshadowed, but never actually fully explained, as we rush pell-mell to the climatic scenes in the school's Gym.
Leah is inspirational and a fighter and her plight keeps you turning to the last page. I listened to this on audiobook brilliantly read by Kate Harbour. This has been difficult review to write without delivering inadvertent spoilers that would ruin for you.
Does Leah survive? Does Anton? What happens to Connor? Do they discover what the hell is really going on?
You're going to need to buy it to find out, but excellent work all round, a thoroughly nail-biting read with some fantastic splatter-punk violence too. You will see red, literally.
**** (Four stars)
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March 24, 2018Brilliant! Read this aged 11 and found it to be the most exciting book I’d ever read. The beginning and flash-backs about the morning before school were pretty boring as they drew away from the intense, speedy action of the main plot. But the rest of the book was great, I cringed slightly at the attempts by the author to write as a teenager but it wasn’t a major issue. Overall, I enjoyed it massively.
August 6, 2016
Also published on my blog here
I was intrigued by this GORGEOUS book as soon as I heard about it. School shootings fall into that ‘issues’ category of things that don’t get talked about very often but really should. I like to go for books that almost guarantee an emotional read, and Siege certainly didn’t disappoint!
The first two-thirds of the book were entirely gripping, and brought up a lot of emotions about what it may be like to experience a shooting, and the choices you make. We follow Leah from the beginning, where she manages to hide from the initial horror, and then later as she tries to figure out how to help others. Should she leave her hiding place to help others that have been shot? Or try to get out and help? Or even, try to take down the shooters?
I can’t imagine what it would be like to experience that kind of event. Living in England, I have not seen the ‘gun culture’ that is more apparent in the US, but it is getting worse here. The level of shock and fear that people feel must be overwhelming, and that raw emotion definitely comes across in the book. There are points in the book where I just felt… horrified? That this could actually be a true story was at the forefront of my mind, and it made the story very intense.
I do have to say that the last third of the book did irritate me a bit. Trying to tie up the story and the motivation behind the shooting, the story just went in a way that I didn’t expect and couldn’t really believe. It did make the plot different and reveal a kind of ‘hidden agenda’, but I just felt it was unnecessary. To me, the book was powerful enough without it, and it kind of detracted from the original message.
Siege was a book that took my breath away. I was hooked from the start and could not put the book down. Although I didn’t agree with the ending, I think that it covers a very important topic, and I would implore teenagers to read about the impact shootings can have. 4 sofas!
I was intrigued by this GORGEOUS book as soon as I heard about it. School shootings fall into that ‘issues’ category of things that don’t get talked about very often but really should. I like to go for books that almost guarantee an emotional read, and Siege certainly didn’t disappoint!
The first two-thirds of the book were entirely gripping, and brought up a lot of emotions about what it may be like to experience a shooting, and the choices you make. We follow Leah from the beginning, where she manages to hide from the initial horror, and then later as she tries to figure out how to help others. Should she leave her hiding place to help others that have been shot? Or try to get out and help? Or even, try to take down the shooters?
I can’t imagine what it would be like to experience that kind of event. Living in England, I have not seen the ‘gun culture’ that is more apparent in the US, but it is getting worse here. The level of shock and fear that people feel must be overwhelming, and that raw emotion definitely comes across in the book. There are points in the book where I just felt… horrified? That this could actually be a true story was at the forefront of my mind, and it made the story very intense.
I do have to say that the last third of the book did irritate me a bit. Trying to tie up the story and the motivation behind the shooting, the story just went in a way that I didn’t expect and couldn’t really believe. It did make the plot different and reveal a kind of ‘hidden agenda’, but I just felt it was unnecessary. To me, the book was powerful enough without it, and it kind of detracted from the original message.
Siege was a book that took my breath away. I was hooked from the start and could not put the book down. Although I didn’t agree with the ending, I think that it covers a very important topic, and I would implore teenagers to read about the impact shootings can have. 4 sofas!
March 5, 2013
It is hard to write a review of a book that left me staring into space long after I had turned the last page, I don't know where to begin. . . . .
With 'Siege' Sarah Mussi has written a story that is raw, honest, powerful, intense and hard to read. There are times that I almost put the book down because Srah Mussi's powerful social commentary is eerie; the idea that poverty and poor education are factors in crime; government conspiracy exists and gun crime is escalating. Unfortunately for the author I am sure that she wrote the book before America's latest gun incident in Sandy Hook, but as Leah is hiding from the boys who are wielding the guns and Ruby is in the book cupboard, the frightening parallels to the reality cannot be denied.
Throughout 'Siege' Leah is our guide, although we do meet other characters, we see them through her eyes. At the beginning of the story the reader has to adjust to Leah's speech pattern and dialect but this gives 'Siege' more credibility, thereby allowing the reader to become further lost in the story.
Leah begins running away from the gunmen and her friends, with the am of escaping and saving herself. However she develops before the reader and we witness her risking her life on several occasions to save people or to collect evidence. Leah has to challenge her belief system in everything and everyone around her and in a matter of hours she is forced to make the most mature decisions of her life.
'Siege' is so worth the read- although it is aimed at a more mature audience. However I would warn readers that Sarah Mussi does not prepare us for the ending. I look forward to reading more of this authors work.
With 'Siege' Sarah Mussi has written a story that is raw, honest, powerful, intense and hard to read. There are times that I almost put the book down because Srah Mussi's powerful social commentary is eerie; the idea that poverty and poor education are factors in crime; government conspiracy exists and gun crime is escalating. Unfortunately for the author I am sure that she wrote the book before America's latest gun incident in Sandy Hook, but as Leah is hiding from the boys who are wielding the guns and Ruby is in the book cupboard, the frightening parallels to the reality cannot be denied.
Throughout 'Siege' Leah is our guide, although we do meet other characters, we see them through her eyes. At the beginning of the story the reader has to adjust to Leah's speech pattern and dialect but this gives 'Siege' more credibility, thereby allowing the reader to become further lost in the story.
Leah begins running away from the gunmen and her friends, with the am of escaping and saving herself. However she develops before the reader and we witness her risking her life on several occasions to save people or to collect evidence. Leah has to challenge her belief system in everything and everyone around her and in a matter of hours she is forced to make the most mature decisions of her life.
'Siege' is so worth the read- although it is aimed at a more mature audience. However I would warn readers that Sarah Mussi does not prepare us for the ending. I look forward to reading more of this authors work.
January 14, 2016
This is a highly political, pulse-pounding, suspenseful, upsetting, I-can’t-sleep-don’t-make-me, YA Thriller.
Siege is set in a futuristic, right-wing Britain – where austerity measures have segregated society. Now kids from poorer backgrounds can only access the most basic of high schools (known as Challenge Academies) and public facilities.
Leah Jackson’s mum is depressed, so sixteen-year-old Lee has to look after her brother and her little sister. Somedays there’s nothing in fridge and no way to pay the electric bill and that’s just how life is. Then one Friday morning, Lee is late to school. She’s put in detention, missing assembly… And the shooting starts.
“Dear God, please don’t let them find me.” – 12:04pm
Siege is a gritty, violent and unrelenting tale. (There is blood. So much blood.) The story has substance though, it’s complex and well-plotted – there’s enough characters, action and intrigue here to support a 300 page YA book.
Why are kids shooting other kids? Why are the academy’s students trapped inside, on “Lock Down”, by electrified fences? Where are the police? Who will die next? What will Lee and the other students be willing to do in the coming hours, in order to simply survive? And why does she feel so guilty?
Not recommended for twelve-year-olds. In case you were wondering.
Siege is set in a futuristic, right-wing Britain – where austerity measures have segregated society. Now kids from poorer backgrounds can only access the most basic of high schools (known as Challenge Academies) and public facilities.
Leah Jackson’s mum is depressed, so sixteen-year-old Lee has to look after her brother and her little sister. Somedays there’s nothing in fridge and no way to pay the electric bill and that’s just how life is. Then one Friday morning, Lee is late to school. She’s put in detention, missing assembly… And the shooting starts.
“Dear God, please don’t let them find me.” – 12:04pm
Siege is a gritty, violent and unrelenting tale. (There is blood. So much blood.) The story has substance though, it’s complex and well-plotted – there’s enough characters, action and intrigue here to support a 300 page YA book.
Why are kids shooting other kids? Why are the academy’s students trapped inside, on “Lock Down”, by electrified fences? Where are the police? Who will die next? What will Lee and the other students be willing to do in the coming hours, in order to simply survive? And why does she feel so guilty?
Not recommended for twelve-year-olds. In case you were wondering.
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