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Mickey Bolitar #2
Kilka sekund od śmierci
Mieszkający teraz z Myronem chłopak powoli odnajduje swoje miejsce w nowej szkole, ale wciąż wpada w nowe kłopoty. Zaledwie kilka dni po wydarzeniach opisanych w pierwszej książce zostaje zamieszany w podpalenie i morderstwo, ponadto wciąż szuka śladów Rzeźnika z Łodzi i tajemniczej organizacji, jaką jest Schronienie Abeona, a także usiłuje odkryć prawdę o śmierci swojego ojca.
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2012
1857 people are currently reading
10187 people want to read
About the author
Harlan Coben
206 books45.3k followersHarlan Coben is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries with seventy-five million books in print worldwide.
His books have earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many have been developed into Netflix Original Drama series, including his adaptations of The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good and The Woods. His most recent adaptation for Netflix, Stay Close, premiered on December 31, 2021 and stars Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, and Richard Armitage.
His books have earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many have been developed into Netflix Original Drama series, including his adaptations of The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good and The Woods. His most recent adaptation for Netflix, Stay Close, premiered on December 31, 2021 and stars Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, and Richard Armitage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,298 reviews
July 3, 2018
As we all know Harlan Coben writes fantastic adult thrillers and he doesn't disappoint either with his YA mysteries starring Myron Bolitar's nephew Mickey.
"Seconds Away" continues on from the previous book "Shelter" and although there was enough in the story to bring me up to speed I did feel as though I missed out on some important events and introduction of characters.
As usual Coben entices you into his books with quick, intriguing and exciting chapters and before you know it you are totally engrossed and can't stop reading. I managed to read this book in a full day since time allowed and I thoroughly enjoyed spending my day with Mickey Bolitar.
Being a Myron Bolitar fan already from Coben's main adult series I enjoyed the fact that Myron was also in this book albeit in a backseat role. I can see Mickey becoming a permanent fixture and as he grows I believe he'd develop into a more adult series with ease.
I loved the character 'Spoon', he really gave the book its light entertainment and humour and I thought the three characters - Mickey, Spoon and Ema - worked perfectly well together and I would happily follow them in another book too. The denouement was excellent and well plotted - all in all this was a brilliant mystery that was fun to follow and try to solve.
Remembering that this is a YA novel, there is limited violence and no language compared to full on adult thrillers and this makes for a much more relaxing and enjoyable read but still as suspenseful and captivating. I'd happily recommend "Seconds Away" but I would maybe advise where possible to read "Shelter" first.
4 stars
"Seconds Away" continues on from the previous book "Shelter" and although there was enough in the story to bring me up to speed I did feel as though I missed out on some important events and introduction of characters.
As usual Coben entices you into his books with quick, intriguing and exciting chapters and before you know it you are totally engrossed and can't stop reading. I managed to read this book in a full day since time allowed and I thoroughly enjoyed spending my day with Mickey Bolitar.
Being a Myron Bolitar fan already from Coben's main adult series I enjoyed the fact that Myron was also in this book albeit in a backseat role. I can see Mickey becoming a permanent fixture and as he grows I believe he'd develop into a more adult series with ease.
I loved the character 'Spoon', he really gave the book its light entertainment and humour and I thought the three characters - Mickey, Spoon and Ema - worked perfectly well together and I would happily follow them in another book too. The denouement was excellent and well plotted - all in all this was a brilliant mystery that was fun to follow and try to solve.
Remembering that this is a YA novel, there is limited violence and no language compared to full on adult thrillers and this makes for a much more relaxing and enjoyable read but still as suspenseful and captivating. I'd happily recommend "Seconds Away" but I would maybe advise where possible to read "Shelter" first.
4 stars
March 10, 2023
I love Harlan Coben's writing, he is witty, sharp and funny while telling his serious stories. I love how his characters are edgey with barbs thrown in at all stages, with entertaining banter between the three high school friends. They are all very different characters. Mickey tall and commanding, excellent basketball player, unflappable. Ema, a girl who seems to hide her home life, whose outward appearance is dark and gothic, one of the non cool crowd who doesn't at all care about her status on the social pecking order at high school (these kids are young!). Then there is 'Spoon' tiny in stature but huge in words and personality, he loves his friends just as much as they love him.
The characters in this small series are all enjoyable, I love them and their friendship.
I found myself wanting Myron to help his nephew Mickey to solve this life and death conundrum, but this is what this series is all about - it's Mickey's not Myron's! When Myron does make an entrance it's anti climactical, he's purely there in the background.
I found myself lagging through the final third, and did want it to speed up and get things moving along, thus my 3 star rating.
Mickey is cool, calm and collected just like his uncle. I'd like to see them become closer, and I guess this may be addressed in the final instalment.
The storyline is one to suspend belief, but this is all part of the fun. Lookng forward now to be able to finish the Bolitar series, but that will be a very sad moment, as it is my favourite series of all time, one that I found early in my time here on Goodreads.
I listened to this on audio CD, sourced via my public library.
The characters in this small series are all enjoyable, I love them and their friendship.
I found myself wanting Myron to help his nephew Mickey to solve this life and death conundrum, but this is what this series is all about - it's Mickey's not Myron's! When Myron does make an entrance it's anti climactical, he's purely there in the background.
I found myself lagging through the final third, and did want it to speed up and get things moving along, thus my 3 star rating.
Mickey is cool, calm and collected just like his uncle. I'd like to see them become closer, and I guess this may be addressed in the final instalment.
The storyline is one to suspend belief, but this is all part of the fun. Lookng forward now to be able to finish the Bolitar series, but that will be a very sad moment, as it is my favourite series of all time, one that I found early in my time here on Goodreads.
I listened to this on audio CD, sourced via my public library.
October 11, 2025
somehow even more insane than book one
March 22, 2021
I'm really invested in this series. Again, I think this one deserves 'all the stars', so I've changed my rating. It's so refreshing to read about teenagers that aren't written as whiny. On to book 3.
November 27, 2023
Always enjoyable
February 17, 2017
Teenager Mickey Bolitar is trying to find out all that he can about the Abeona Shelter. A mysterious woman has told him that his father who died in a traffic accident is not really dead. Mickey and his friends Ema and Spoon start looking for information. But when their friend Rachel is wounded by a gunshot to the head and her mother is murdered, Mickey tries to figure out what exactly happened that fateful night.
This is the second book in the Mickey Bolitar series and I loved it. Mickey lives with his Uncle Myron and the trademark Bolitar humor is back in this book. The characters are well drawn, including Ema and Spoon. The mystery is very interesting and I had a hard time putting this one down. The ending makes me want to pick up the next book immediately. My rating: 5 Stars.
This is the second book in the Mickey Bolitar series and I loved it. Mickey lives with his Uncle Myron and the trademark Bolitar humor is back in this book. The characters are well drawn, including Ema and Spoon. The mystery is very interesting and I had a hard time putting this one down. The ending makes me want to pick up the next book immediately. My rating: 5 Stars.
September 26, 2012
While the mystery is just as good as that of the first book, Shelter, I am deducting a star for the first twenty percent of this book recapping the first book ad nauseam.
It really becomes insulting to the reader -- even the young adult reader, assuming they cannot remember even the simplest facts from the first book, or in the case of the new reader, that they need to know everything that happened in the first book.
It really becomes insulting to the reader -- even the young adult reader, assuming they cannot remember even the simplest facts from the first book, or in the case of the new reader, that they need to know everything that happened in the first book.
June 19, 2022
Kontynuacja powtórki z rozrywki.
Mickey Bolitar nie ma lekko. Dopiero co wykaraskał się z afery z poprzedniej części, a już zostaje wplątany w sprawę morderstwa. Do tego dalej nienawidzi swojego wuja Myrona, czemu będzie dawał wyraz przez całą książkę. Życie nastolatka w książkach Cobena to naprawdę nie jest buła z masłem. Czy nasz młodociany detektyw-amator przeżyje do trzeciej części? Niestety, w to akurat nie wątpię.
Jak się można domyślić, nie przepadam za młodym Bolitarem. Irytuje mnie odrobinę wymieszanie tych naiwnych problemów nastolatka (dziewczyny, drużyna koszykówki) z tymi super poważnymi (podpalenia, morderstwa). Do tego ilość powtórzeń, retrospekcji i tym podobnych zabiegów – przekracza granice mojej tolerancji. Harlan, pisałeś te książki rok po roku, nikt nie zdążył zapomnieć tego wszystkiego! A jak ktoś do tego przeczytał cykl o Myronie – no to się będzie męczył, jak ja. No chyba, że w międzyczasie ktoś dostał wylewu i nie pamięta już, co to jest Yoo-hoo. Wtedy to spoko.
5/10
Mickey Bolitar nie ma lekko. Dopiero co wykaraskał się z afery z poprzedniej części, a już zostaje wplątany w sprawę morderstwa. Do tego dalej nienawidzi swojego wuja Myrona, czemu będzie dawał wyraz przez całą książkę. Życie nastolatka w książkach Cobena to naprawdę nie jest buła z masłem. Czy nasz młodociany detektyw-amator przeżyje do trzeciej części? Niestety, w to akurat nie wątpię.
Jak się można domyślić, nie przepadam za młodym Bolitarem. Irytuje mnie odrobinę wymieszanie tych naiwnych problemów nastolatka (dziewczyny, drużyna koszykówki) z tymi super poważnymi (podpalenia, morderstwa). Do tego ilość powtórzeń, retrospekcji i tym podobnych zabiegów – przekracza granice mojej tolerancji. Harlan, pisałeś te książki rok po roku, nikt nie zdążył zapomnieć tego wszystkiego! A jak ktoś do tego przeczytał cykl o Myronie – no to się będzie męczył, jak ja. No chyba, że w międzyczasie ktoś dostał wylewu i nie pamięta już, co to jest Yoo-hoo. Wtedy to spoko.
5/10
November 22, 2012
I really enjoyed this, the second in the Mickey Bolitar series.
With his friends Ema and Spoon, Mickey had very little time to relax and recuperate from his adventures in Shelter, as they were again thrust into high danger almost immediately when there was a murder mystery involving their friend Rachel. And with Spoon grounded for approximately 34 years (according to his parents!) sneaking out was a challenge!
With Rachel in danger, police Chief Taylor acting very strangely, Mickey nervous and excited about the upcoming basketball try-outs, things were happening fast. When Mickey’s Uncle Myron appeared to be a body guard to the beautiful actress Angelica Wyatt, and Ema was suspicious of that activity for some reason, Mickey knew there was something odd going on…but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Mickey was determined to protect his friends at all costs, including putting himself in extreme peril. Would he find the killer, and can he help his friends before anyone else is hurt?
This follow-on novel from Shelter is extremely fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable. I will definitely read the next instalment in Mickey Bolitar’s life.
With his friends Ema and Spoon, Mickey had very little time to relax and recuperate from his adventures in Shelter, as they were again thrust into high danger almost immediately when there was a murder mystery involving their friend Rachel. And with Spoon grounded for approximately 34 years (according to his parents!) sneaking out was a challenge!
With Rachel in danger, police Chief Taylor acting very strangely, Mickey nervous and excited about the upcoming basketball try-outs, things were happening fast. When Mickey’s Uncle Myron appeared to be a body guard to the beautiful actress Angelica Wyatt, and Ema was suspicious of that activity for some reason, Mickey knew there was something odd going on…but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Mickey was determined to protect his friends at all costs, including putting himself in extreme peril. Would he find the killer, and can he help his friends before anyone else is hurt?
This follow-on novel from Shelter is extremely fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable. I will definitely read the next instalment in Mickey Bolitar’s life.
November 16, 2019
Karşınızda Myron Bolitar’ın baş belası yeğeni Mickey Bolitar’ın yeni macerası.
Myron’un maceralarını seviyorum çünkü aksiyonla polisiyeyi harmanlıyor. Bulmaca gibi sunuyor ve çözmesi zevkli oluyor.
Ancak Mickey için aynı şey geçerli değil. Kitap onun ağzından anlatıldığı için midir bilemedim ama dili çok basitti. Kitap çok kolay okunuyor, akıp gidiyor tamam ama dili çok basite kaçtığı için zevki gidiyor.
Bu sefer yaramaz çetesi ile olayların içine düşüyorlar. Mickey, Arthur nam-ı diğer Kaşık, Ema ve Rachel. Mickey serisinin ikinci kitabı da aynı dozda devam ediyor. Seri devam ettikçe okurum ama ancak ortalama diyebilirim.
Myron’un maceralarını seviyorum çünkü aksiyonla polisiyeyi harmanlıyor. Bulmaca gibi sunuyor ve çözmesi zevkli oluyor.
Ancak Mickey için aynı şey geçerli değil. Kitap onun ağzından anlatıldığı için midir bilemedim ama dili çok basitti. Kitap çok kolay okunuyor, akıp gidiyor tamam ama dili çok basite kaçtığı için zevki gidiyor.
Bu sefer yaramaz çetesi ile olayların içine düşüyorlar. Mickey, Arthur nam-ı diğer Kaşık, Ema ve Rachel. Mickey serisinin ikinci kitabı da aynı dozda devam ediyor. Seri devam ettikçe okurum ama ancak ortalama diyebilirim.
January 8, 2017
4.5 Stars I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book in the Mickey Bolitar Series. Some of the humour you expect from the Myron Bolitar books was more evident in this book and you knew the characters better. I also think Myron had a bigger presence in this book and Mickey was not so against Myron in this book, so he became a much more likeable character. I really enjoyed the book and it set the book up for (the so far) last book in the series. If anything it has more a feel of a Trilogy than a series. The book was left on a bit of a cliffhanger so I intend to move straightaway onto book 3 where we might finally find out whether Mickey's father is dead or alive. I certainly wouldn't read this series before finishing book 10 in the Myron Bolitar Series and might be best read before book 11 : Home.
December 26, 2013
Only realised after I started reading it that it is number 2 in a young adult series. Nowhere on the cover or inside did it state the second in a series. Quite annoyed at this as if I had of known I would have read the first one before the second one. Also not my genre and that wasn't written on the cover either. So disappointed.
October 6, 2012
Sometimes you gotta have faith in people. I really enjoyed SHELTER until the end revealed that the bad guy was a ninety-year-old Nazi. Turns out SECONDS AWAY starts with Mickey frustrated because that makes zero sense. But he doesn't have much time to ponder the bad-guy-who-doesn't-age before his friend Rachel gets shot in the head. (It's just a flesh wound!)
Mickey, Spoon, and Ema band back together in order to discover who tried to kill their friend. They're all dealing with fallout from the last book. Mickey's being watched by the cops, who dislike that he always seems to be at the center of trouble. Spoon is grounded for approximately forever. Okay, so Ema's not in trouble, but as she and Mickey get closer Mickey gets more suspicious of her secrets.
I do think Harlan Coben has a talent for writing teenagers. Mickey's often as worried about making the basketball team as he is about solving the various mysteries in his life. The teens continue to be constantly connected through their phones. And while Mickey, Spoon, and Ema have the makings of good investigators, their meddling often interferes with what the professionals are trying to do. They lack the experience and knowledge of the law needed to get criminals put behind bars. I disliked the stereotype of the belligerent police chief in SHELTER, but in SECONDS AWAY he eventually gets some nuance.
I did get the nagging sense during SECONDS AWAY that I should be reading Coben's adult Myron Bolitar mysteries to fill in a bit more of the backstory. But looking up blurbs for the Myron novels shows that the most recent, LIVE WIRE, introduced Mickey and his family and thus there probably isn't much information to be found there.
SECONDS AWAY is a terrific follow-up to SHELTER, though it doesn't further the series arc much. It is a decent thriller in and of itself. SECONDS AWAY is a good choice for those who want a book with a lot of action.
Mickey, Spoon, and Ema band back together in order to discover who tried to kill their friend. They're all dealing with fallout from the last book. Mickey's being watched by the cops, who dislike that he always seems to be at the center of trouble. Spoon is grounded for approximately forever. Okay, so Ema's not in trouble, but as she and Mickey get closer Mickey gets more suspicious of her secrets.
I do think Harlan Coben has a talent for writing teenagers. Mickey's often as worried about making the basketball team as he is about solving the various mysteries in his life. The teens continue to be constantly connected through their phones. And while Mickey, Spoon, and Ema have the makings of good investigators, their meddling often interferes with what the professionals are trying to do. They lack the experience and knowledge of the law needed to get criminals put behind bars. I disliked the stereotype of the belligerent police chief in SHELTER, but in SECONDS AWAY he eventually gets some nuance.
I did get the nagging sense during SECONDS AWAY that I should be reading Coben's adult Myron Bolitar mysteries to fill in a bit more of the backstory. But looking up blurbs for the Myron novels shows that the most recent, LIVE WIRE, introduced Mickey and his family and thus there probably isn't much information to be found there.
SECONDS AWAY is a terrific follow-up to SHELTER, though it doesn't further the series arc much. It is a decent thriller in and of itself. SECONDS AWAY is a good choice for those who want a book with a lot of action.
February 10, 2013
Here Coben presents the second in the Mickey Bolitar series, which takes places less than a week later in Mickey's life after the first book. This makes for a rather odd sensation for the reader, or so I thought. However, if Coben wants to keep the series focused on Mickey while he's in high school then it is a device that should serve him well. In this one, Mickey's friend Rachel's mother is murdered, and Rachel is injured by a bullet that grazes her skull. Mickey, Ema and Spoon set out to find who who shot Rachel and her mother. In the midst of this Mickey has his tryout for the high school basketball team, and the Bat Lady's house burns down. Uncle Myron and Mickey continue to build their prickly relationship. As a middle-aged person, what struck me about the book was how much energy Mickey has and how invincible he believes he is. Even when horrible things happen to his closest friends, he cannot stop trying to find out answers while paying no regard to his personal safety. In this, Coben does a good job of how teenagers seem to think. Teens will enjoy and so will fans of Myron Bolitar, who is doing his best to guide his teenage nephew.
March 29, 2013
This, the second novel in the Mickey Bolitar series, is an exciting follow-up to Shelter. Mickey and his best friends, goth Ema and nerdy Spoon, are off on another dangerous adventure after the shootings of their friend Rachel and her mother. Rachel survives, but her mother is dead of a bullet in the head.
Also involved are the continuing mysteries of the Bat Lady, who is a survivor of the Holocaust, the child-rescue group Abeona Shelter, the evil Butcher of Lodz, and the fate of Mickey's father, who was apparently killed in an auto accident. The story is very twisty-turny, and though the immediate mysteries are solved, there is a huge cliffhanger. Can't wait for the next book!
Also involved are the continuing mysteries of the Bat Lady, who is a survivor of the Holocaust, the child-rescue group Abeona Shelter, the evil Butcher of Lodz, and the fate of Mickey's father, who was apparently killed in an auto accident. The story is very twisty-turny, and though the immediate mysteries are solved, there is a huge cliffhanger. Can't wait for the next book!
September 10, 2012
Seconds Away is a great addition to Harlan Coben's first YA series featuring quick-witted and clever Mickey Bolitar (Myron Bolitar's nephew). Full of exciting twists and turns and thrilling new developments, it's a book that moves at a near break-neck speed and is sure to leave you stunned, breathless, maybe a tiny little bit confused, but very satisfied nevertheless. Thoroughly captivating, well-written and with an incredibly suspenseful plot line, it's one of the best thrillers I've read this summer, possibly this year.
"There are moments in your life that change everything.
I don't mean little things like, say, what cereal turns out to be your favorite or whether you get into any AP classes or what girl you fall in love with or where you wind up living for twenty years. I mean total change. One second your world is one thing, the next - snap! - it is completely altered. All the rules, all the things you accepted about reality, are turned around.
Like, up becomes down. Left becomes right.
Death becomes life."
Seconds Away picks up exactly where Shelter left off. The first Mickey Bolitar novel ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger that left me clamoring for the sequel. When I got my hands on a copy of the second book, I was extremely excited to finally be able to learn more about what happened during Mickey's meeting with the mysterious Bat Lady. I wanted to know if he learned something valuable about his father's death. If the Nazi officer in Bat Lady's picture (the evil Butcher of Lodz) was indeed the same person Mickey remembers as the paramedic who took his father's body away after the car crash. Why did the old lady say Mickey's dad was alive? Could he possibly be? And - most importantly - I wanted to learn more about Abeona Shelter and the role this mysterious organization played in it all. Just like Mickey, I needed some answers, and I needed them badly. And just like Mickey, instead of answers, I got more questions, more unbelievable plot turns, more mysteries to solve and lives to save. And while I can't say that I was satisfied with how little information the story line provided me with, I was most certainly well entertained by the thrilling sub-plot and happy to follow my favourite characters as they solved yet another bone-chilling case.
The plot line of Seconds Away follows two stories that - though different from each other - intertwine with one another, as they are both related to Abeona Shelter. The main plot line - the one involving Mickey's father and the seemingly immortal Butcher of Lodz - does not get resolved in this book. In fact, while we do get bits and pieces of information throughout the story, overall there isn't much progress to Mickey's investigation. At the same time, though lacking any major breakthroughs, the story is still thick with tension and even more action-packed than the first book.
The second story line - a sort of a sub-plot - is even better. Mickey's friend, Rachel, is attacked in her own house. She ends up in a hospital, with a gunshot wound to the head. Her mother, who claimed to have some incriminating information about Rachel's father, gets killed during the attack. There's an air of secrecy surrounding the events of that fatal night, Rachel's father seems to be hiding something. Mickey, together with his faithful side-kicks (Ema and Spoon), is determined to get to the bottom of it all. He'll do whatever it takes to protect Rachel and find out who is responsible for her mom's death.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel. It was fun and gripping, and I couldn't bring myself to put the book down mid-point. At times the plot was so twisted and tangled up that I wanted to scream. I kept on thinking to myself: what on earth is going on here? There were moments when I would get a little bit confused, but that's mainly due to the fact that not much was explained. The mystery part plays a major role in this series, everything we read about - every single fact and detail we're presented with, every new character, flashback, or seemingly unrelated story - leads to uncovering the secret of Abeona Shelter and those who are determined to destroy it. And though we might have to wait a book or two to get to the big "aaaah, I get it now!", I'm pretty sure that when the moment comes to connect all the dots and get to the bottom of the story, the conclusion will knock our socks off.
I liked many things about this book, but I was especially excited to learn more about our main characters. Harlan Coben created a fabulous set of personalities, each of them distinct, vibrant, and essential to the plot. I was very happy to be reunited with them, especially with Spoon who is just so awesomely nerdy and adorable (kind of reminds me of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory). Seconds Away provides us with a great insight into the characters' past. We learn more about Mickey, his hopes and fears, and his strained relationship with his uncle. But then we also learn more about Ema and Spoon. We get a really good look at their thoughts and feelings, and we even get some really eye-opening information about their family situation and how it shaped them to be who they are. I found it absolutely fascinating to read about, and it definitely made me love these characters even more.
While published and marketed as Young Adult reads, both Shelter and Seconds Away are - in my opinion - great mystery novels that can be enjoyed by Coben's fans of all ages. Seconds Away mixes mystery, action, and personal drama, adding a pinch of something vaguely supernatural (or so it seems). It's a spicy and flavourful cocktail, and one that will keep you frantically turning pages. With solid and exciting plot line, characters that are realistic and relatable, and premise that is just as moving as it is threatening, this brand new teen mystery makes for a very good read, infused with some powerful adrenaline shots.
"There are moments in your life that change everything.
I don't mean little things like, say, what cereal turns out to be your favorite or whether you get into any AP classes or what girl you fall in love with or where you wind up living for twenty years. I mean total change. One second your world is one thing, the next - snap! - it is completely altered. All the rules, all the things you accepted about reality, are turned around.
Like, up becomes down. Left becomes right.
Death becomes life."
Seconds Away picks up exactly where Shelter left off. The first Mickey Bolitar novel ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger that left me clamoring for the sequel. When I got my hands on a copy of the second book, I was extremely excited to finally be able to learn more about what happened during Mickey's meeting with the mysterious Bat Lady. I wanted to know if he learned something valuable about his father's death. If the Nazi officer in Bat Lady's picture (the evil Butcher of Lodz) was indeed the same person Mickey remembers as the paramedic who took his father's body away after the car crash. Why did the old lady say Mickey's dad was alive? Could he possibly be? And - most importantly - I wanted to learn more about Abeona Shelter and the role this mysterious organization played in it all. Just like Mickey, I needed some answers, and I needed them badly. And just like Mickey, instead of answers, I got more questions, more unbelievable plot turns, more mysteries to solve and lives to save. And while I can't say that I was satisfied with how little information the story line provided me with, I was most certainly well entertained by the thrilling sub-plot and happy to follow my favourite characters as they solved yet another bone-chilling case.
The plot line of Seconds Away follows two stories that - though different from each other - intertwine with one another, as they are both related to Abeona Shelter. The main plot line - the one involving Mickey's father and the seemingly immortal Butcher of Lodz - does not get resolved in this book. In fact, while we do get bits and pieces of information throughout the story, overall there isn't much progress to Mickey's investigation. At the same time, though lacking any major breakthroughs, the story is still thick with tension and even more action-packed than the first book.
The second story line - a sort of a sub-plot - is even better. Mickey's friend, Rachel, is attacked in her own house. She ends up in a hospital, with a gunshot wound to the head. Her mother, who claimed to have some incriminating information about Rachel's father, gets killed during the attack. There's an air of secrecy surrounding the events of that fatal night, Rachel's father seems to be hiding something. Mickey, together with his faithful side-kicks (Ema and Spoon), is determined to get to the bottom of it all. He'll do whatever it takes to protect Rachel and find out who is responsible for her mom's death.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel. It was fun and gripping, and I couldn't bring myself to put the book down mid-point. At times the plot was so twisted and tangled up that I wanted to scream. I kept on thinking to myself: what on earth is going on here? There were moments when I would get a little bit confused, but that's mainly due to the fact that not much was explained. The mystery part plays a major role in this series, everything we read about - every single fact and detail we're presented with, every new character, flashback, or seemingly unrelated story - leads to uncovering the secret of Abeona Shelter and those who are determined to destroy it. And though we might have to wait a book or two to get to the big "aaaah, I get it now!", I'm pretty sure that when the moment comes to connect all the dots and get to the bottom of the story, the conclusion will knock our socks off.
I liked many things about this book, but I was especially excited to learn more about our main characters. Harlan Coben created a fabulous set of personalities, each of them distinct, vibrant, and essential to the plot. I was very happy to be reunited with them, especially with Spoon who is just so awesomely nerdy and adorable (kind of reminds me of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory). Seconds Away provides us with a great insight into the characters' past. We learn more about Mickey, his hopes and fears, and his strained relationship with his uncle. But then we also learn more about Ema and Spoon. We get a really good look at their thoughts and feelings, and we even get some really eye-opening information about their family situation and how it shaped them to be who they are. I found it absolutely fascinating to read about, and it definitely made me love these characters even more.
While published and marketed as Young Adult reads, both Shelter and Seconds Away are - in my opinion - great mystery novels that can be enjoyed by Coben's fans of all ages. Seconds Away mixes mystery, action, and personal drama, adding a pinch of something vaguely supernatural (or so it seems). It's a spicy and flavourful cocktail, and one that will keep you frantically turning pages. With solid and exciting plot line, characters that are realistic and relatable, and premise that is just as moving as it is threatening, this brand new teen mystery makes for a very good read, infused with some powerful adrenaline shots.
March 17, 2024
Не дивіться серіал, якщо не хочете спойлерів до наступних книг. В екранізації, як я розумію, вмістили події всіх трьох книг, тому обережно.
Спун 💔💔💔💔
Лінію з Емою була вже очікувана.
А ось з Рейчел...все було для того, щоб Мікі вчинив по-своєму? Була б я на місці Рейчел, я б ніколи не хотіла таке дізнатись. Тут я на стороні батька 100%.
І шериф Тейлор несподівано може бути порядним персонажем
Спун 💔💔💔💔
Лінію з Емою була вже очікувана.
А ось з Рейчел...все було для того, щоб Мікі вчинив по-своєму? Була б я на місці Рейчел, я б ніколи не хотіла таке дізнатись. Тут я на стороні батька 100%.
І шериф Тейлор несподівано може бути порядним персонажем
July 23, 2023
Cała moja rodzina jest invested w tą serię XD Tak szybka i przyjemna w czytaniu, że MASAKRA (1,5-godzinna lektura XD) Tak samo jk poprzednia czesc ma swoje wady ALE MUSZE WIEDZIEC CO JEST DALEJJ
July 2, 2021
A quick read that picks up right where the last book left off.
I'm glad I'm reading this series back to back. I think I would of forgotten most of plot and background if I had read the books months or years apart. I like that the novel is short, fast paced and action packed.
Mickey is only a teenager, but somehow we are lead to believe that he is highly trained in martial arts. Some of the events in the novel are highly unlikely, especially considering that most of the "good guys" are in high school. I don't like that the adults don't seem to care where their kids are and what they get up to. Even the high schoolers go directly against what the parents say and don't get punished.
I'm glad I'm reading this series back to back. I think I would of forgotten most of plot and background if I had read the books months or years apart. I like that the novel is short, fast paced and action packed.
Mickey is only a teenager, but somehow we are lead to believe that he is highly trained in martial arts. Some of the events in the novel are highly unlikely, especially considering that most of the "good guys" are in high school. I don't like that the adults don't seem to care where their kids are and what they get up to. Even the high schoolers go directly against what the parents say and don't get punished.
October 21, 2014
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Surprisingly yes! Despite the leering face, the cover is definitely exciting and promises a suspense-like story (which it is). That alone would make me pick it up, even if I knew nothing about the Mickey Bolitar books.
Characters: Mickey is the sort of “modern-guy” protagonist that I like. He’s sarcastic and smart, but he doesn’t have this flirtatious “I‘m cool“ attitude. Rather, he’s always making fun of himself, especially when he’s done something idiotic and realizes it. Spoon is an odd little dude, and normally I don’t really care for the “endearing nerd side-kick” characters, but he’s okay. Ema, though, I always take some time to warm up to. I spent the majority of the book a little tired of her company, and wishing she would stop beating up on poor Rachel simply because she was a cheerleader. But towards the end of the book, I liked Ema well enough, and I know it will be the same way with the third book.
The Romance: There isn’t any.
Plot: The plot of Shelter was perhaps a bit more exciting because there was more mystery. We Readers didn’t know anything about the Abeona Shelter or Bat Lady. In Seconds Away, we do. But at the same time, there still is plenty of mystery in this one: the mystery of who shot Rachel and why, which in the end turns out not to be nearly as exciting as one might hope. But the Author also has a second plot underlying the main one, as a hint toward what the third book will be about, and that one is definitely more interesting. Plenty of questions are asked in Seconds Away that will make you excited for the next installment.
Believability: The Author portrays realistic injuries very well.
Writing Style: The writing is nothing special. It’s very modern and kind of choppy at times; there’s no beauty in it. But for the sort of book Seconds Away is, the writing works well enough for it. Lots of suspense and the like. Some of the fight scenes are a little hard to follow, and the one in the school feels horribly slow, because the Author spends too much time relating every single movement each person makes.
Content: None.
Conclusion: Normally, I don’t like it when mysteries, especially ones that involve homicides, turn out to have an un-sinister explanation. I feel ripped off. Somehow, though, I was all right with it in this one. Maybe because I wasn’t able to anticipate the explanation at all, and if some of the characters that were involved turned out to be actual villains, it just wouldn’t have worked. There are some characters that the Reader can hate, but aren’t destined to be actual bad guys. While I enjoyed aspects of Shelter more, Seconds Away was an excellent sequel, and a very good way to set things up for the next installment. I don’t think fans will be disappointed.
Recommended Audience: Guy-read, sixteen-and-up. Fans of modern suspense will like it.
Characters: Mickey is the sort of “modern-guy” protagonist that I like. He’s sarcastic and smart, but he doesn’t have this flirtatious “I‘m cool“ attitude. Rather, he’s always making fun of himself, especially when he’s done something idiotic and realizes it. Spoon is an odd little dude, and normally I don’t really care for the “endearing nerd side-kick” characters, but he’s okay. Ema, though, I always take some time to warm up to. I spent the majority of the book a little tired of her company, and wishing she would stop beating up on poor Rachel simply because she was a cheerleader. But towards the end of the book, I liked Ema well enough, and I know it will be the same way with the third book.
The Romance: There isn’t any.
Plot: The plot of Shelter was perhaps a bit more exciting because there was more mystery. We Readers didn’t know anything about the Abeona Shelter or Bat Lady. In Seconds Away, we do. But at the same time, there still is plenty of mystery in this one: the mystery of who shot Rachel and why, which in the end turns out not to be nearly as exciting as one might hope. But the Author also has a second plot underlying the main one, as a hint toward what the third book will be about, and that one is definitely more interesting. Plenty of questions are asked in Seconds Away that will make you excited for the next installment.
Believability: The Author portrays realistic injuries very well.
Writing Style: The writing is nothing special. It’s very modern and kind of choppy at times; there’s no beauty in it. But for the sort of book Seconds Away is, the writing works well enough for it. Lots of suspense and the like. Some of the fight scenes are a little hard to follow, and the one in the school feels horribly slow, because the Author spends too much time relating every single movement each person makes.
Content: None.
Conclusion: Normally, I don’t like it when mysteries, especially ones that involve homicides, turn out to have an un-sinister explanation. I feel ripped off. Somehow, though, I was all right with it in this one. Maybe because I wasn’t able to anticipate the explanation at all, and if some of the characters that were involved turned out to be actual villains, it just wouldn’t have worked. There are some characters that the Reader can hate, but aren’t destined to be actual bad guys. While I enjoyed aspects of Shelter more, Seconds Away was an excellent sequel, and a very good way to set things up for the next installment. I don’t think fans will be disappointed.
Recommended Audience: Guy-read, sixteen-and-up. Fans of modern suspense will like it.
October 28, 2013
Seconds Away by Harlan Coben is the second book in the Mickey Bolitar series. The first book, Shelter, and Seconds Away are centered around Mickey Bolitar and his friends Ema, Spoon, and Rachel, who find themselves tangled in the mystery involving the Abeona Shelter.
It was hard for me to get interested in Seconds Away, because Coben kept recapping everything that happened in the first book. Coben began the book by re-introducing almost all of the main characters: Rachel, Spoon, Ema, Uncle Myron, and Police Chief Taylor. Once Coben got past all of the recaps, Seconds Away really started to grab my attention and it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Coben grabs the reader’s attention with Mickey finding out Rachel and her mother have been shot. Mickey is the new kid in town who seems to attract trouble. Rachel is the popular cheerleader at school, who connects with Mickey in the first book Shelter while trying to help a friend. Mickey befriends Ema and Spoon, two school outcasts, early on in Shelter, and they work together with Mickey and Rachel to solve the mystery. Mickey becomes suspicious of Rachel’s father when he pulls a gun on Mickey while he is arguing with Rachel. Police Chief Taylor is always eager to reprimand/arrest Mickey and his friends. Mickey’s Uncle Myron, who is an attorney, is always there to set Chief Taylor straight.
The mystery revolves around the issue of who shot Rachel’s mother. The two major suspects are Scarface and his partner. The mystery is not believable because the suspects do not seem to be robbing Rachel’s house, yet they break in and leave Rachel’s mother dead, and Rachel with a gunshot wound to the head. Another reason that makes the mystery not believable is Rachel’s family lives in an upper class neighborhood and their house has a fence with a locked gate surrounding the property.
The clues that guide the three friends in both books always lead back to the Abeona Shelter. The symbol of the Abeona Shelter is a butterfly with markings that look like large eyes on the wings. The Abeona Shelter is an organization that rescues people in need. One of their main focuses is saving young girls who are living on the streets and who are forced to become strippers and prostitutes. In both books whenever Mickey and his friends do not know what to do next, the Abeona Shelter gives them a clue in the form of a butterfly to lead them to the next step.
The writer’s writing style is interesting to readers of all ages. My mother found the books as attention-grabbing as I did. We both would strongly recommend that Shelter should be read before Seconds Away in order to understand the full back story. Both of the books are very engaging and neither of them ends as you would expect. Coben has a talent for creating endings so unexpected that they would never even cross the reader’s mind.
It was hard for me to get interested in Seconds Away, because Coben kept recapping everything that happened in the first book. Coben began the book by re-introducing almost all of the main characters: Rachel, Spoon, Ema, Uncle Myron, and Police Chief Taylor. Once Coben got past all of the recaps, Seconds Away really started to grab my attention and it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Coben grabs the reader’s attention with Mickey finding out Rachel and her mother have been shot. Mickey is the new kid in town who seems to attract trouble. Rachel is the popular cheerleader at school, who connects with Mickey in the first book Shelter while trying to help a friend. Mickey befriends Ema and Spoon, two school outcasts, early on in Shelter, and they work together with Mickey and Rachel to solve the mystery. Mickey becomes suspicious of Rachel’s father when he pulls a gun on Mickey while he is arguing with Rachel. Police Chief Taylor is always eager to reprimand/arrest Mickey and his friends. Mickey’s Uncle Myron, who is an attorney, is always there to set Chief Taylor straight.
The mystery revolves around the issue of who shot Rachel’s mother. The two major suspects are Scarface and his partner. The mystery is not believable because the suspects do not seem to be robbing Rachel’s house, yet they break in and leave Rachel’s mother dead, and Rachel with a gunshot wound to the head. Another reason that makes the mystery not believable is Rachel’s family lives in an upper class neighborhood and their house has a fence with a locked gate surrounding the property.
The clues that guide the three friends in both books always lead back to the Abeona Shelter. The symbol of the Abeona Shelter is a butterfly with markings that look like large eyes on the wings. The Abeona Shelter is an organization that rescues people in need. One of their main focuses is saving young girls who are living on the streets and who are forced to become strippers and prostitutes. In both books whenever Mickey and his friends do not know what to do next, the Abeona Shelter gives them a clue in the form of a butterfly to lead them to the next step.
The writer’s writing style is interesting to readers of all ages. My mother found the books as attention-grabbing as I did. We both would strongly recommend that Shelter should be read before Seconds Away in order to understand the full back story. Both of the books are very engaging and neither of them ends as you would expect. Coben has a talent for creating endings so unexpected that they would never even cross the reader’s mind.
October 26, 2013
Harlan Coben has quickly became a favorite for me in the past month or so. He has a pretty large collection of books. Most of them are very enthralling, easy to read, very fluid books and his YA books are really no different, they are awesome. Of course I knew while I was reading this one that there was a good chance that things would be left hanging, and I would be right in that knowledge. But that is ok because I know I will be one of the first to buy the 3rd installment to this series.
I find this YA series to be somewhat refreshing because it is not about vampire love, or who is prettier than who, or who is more popular. It is action packed excitement with plenty on mystery and suspense to appease those die hard mystery fans such as myself. Coben has a great talent, and I feel he is at the top of the list for me where mystery/suspense is concerned. What we have here is a page turner! And I only look forward to what comes next in the series.
The characters in this series are so real to me, none of this fake stuff, no super heroes, perfect, cliché characters that get everything right. They are teenagers, they are a mess, and they each act their roles out perfectly. Perhaps everyone would think that Mickey would be the character loved best in this series, but for me it is Ema. She is a down to earth girl with secrets, and a story all her own, and she has an air of mystery about her that I dared hope would be revealed.
I loved taking a journey with all the characters in this story. And I know that so much more needs to come to the forefront. The premise of the story started from a little bit of history dating back to world war 2 and the holocaust, and comes to life in this series starting with Shelter and carrying over to Seconds Away. You can also learn a little lesson in this story. Things can change at the snap of a finger. Perhaps we should always remember that and judge our actions accordingly.
If you love Coben, mystery, and YA, then you should really try this series out. And even if you don't like YA, you should still pick it up and give it a shot because the mystery is enough to keep you glued to the pages, well at least it was for me. A solid 4 stars!
I find this YA series to be somewhat refreshing because it is not about vampire love, or who is prettier than who, or who is more popular. It is action packed excitement with plenty on mystery and suspense to appease those die hard mystery fans such as myself. Coben has a great talent, and I feel he is at the top of the list for me where mystery/suspense is concerned. What we have here is a page turner! And I only look forward to what comes next in the series.
The characters in this series are so real to me, none of this fake stuff, no super heroes, perfect, cliché characters that get everything right. They are teenagers, they are a mess, and they each act their roles out perfectly. Perhaps everyone would think that Mickey would be the character loved best in this series, but for me it is Ema. She is a down to earth girl with secrets, and a story all her own, and she has an air of mystery about her that I dared hope would be revealed.
I loved taking a journey with all the characters in this story. And I know that so much more needs to come to the forefront. The premise of the story started from a little bit of history dating back to world war 2 and the holocaust, and comes to life in this series starting with Shelter and carrying over to Seconds Away. You can also learn a little lesson in this story. Things can change at the snap of a finger. Perhaps we should always remember that and judge our actions accordingly.
If you love Coben, mystery, and YA, then you should really try this series out. And even if you don't like YA, you should still pick it up and give it a shot because the mystery is enough to keep you glued to the pages, well at least it was for me. A solid 4 stars!
October 6, 2012
For those who have read my reviews of the Myron Bolitar novels, Harlan Coben once again delivers a world-class series this time dealing with the nephew of Myron Bolitar. Unlike the Myron Bolitar series this series now includes the young adult audience as well as the mature audience Coben has been writing for. To my mind this is an incredible accomplishment: to engage both young adults as well as adults in equal fashion.
The writing style is slightly different: the prose has been excised and edited to remove anything superfluous so that we end up reading a tightly written novel that opens Coben's readers to the world of the teenager: his wants, needs and fears. The tension between Myron (who remains a background character in this series) is clearly evident. Mickey blames Myron for the woes and suffering of his mother, the former world class tennis star whom Myron once represented if not the death of his father, Myron's brother. And yet, on the basketball court, Mickey begins to understand his uncle and at least there a sort of camaraderie develops, born of mutual admiration.
I'm a huge fan of the Myron Bolitar series and now, an equally big fan of Mickey Bolitar...a boy who discovers what it means to be a man, what it means to learn the difference between right and wrong, a boy on the road to forgiveness.
If you've read this review, you've read all my reviews of the Mickey Bolitar series.
The writing style is slightly different: the prose has been excised and edited to remove anything superfluous so that we end up reading a tightly written novel that opens Coben's readers to the world of the teenager: his wants, needs and fears. The tension between Myron (who remains a background character in this series) is clearly evident. Mickey blames Myron for the woes and suffering of his mother, the former world class tennis star whom Myron once represented if not the death of his father, Myron's brother. And yet, on the basketball court, Mickey begins to understand his uncle and at least there a sort of camaraderie develops, born of mutual admiration.
I'm a huge fan of the Myron Bolitar series and now, an equally big fan of Mickey Bolitar...a boy who discovers what it means to be a man, what it means to learn the difference between right and wrong, a boy on the road to forgiveness.
If you've read this review, you've read all my reviews of the Mickey Bolitar series.
May 12, 2017
This book was just okay. It is a overall interesting story, but many of the things that happened in the book are nothing like real life. By the way, Mickey is trying to solve a murder mystery while struggling with his own problems, and he gets arrested pretty much every night, with really no consequences. He's not a bad kid, and his parents must really trust he won't die with all this mischief he's getting into. He has like the chillest uncle who lets him do whatever he wants, fine with all this trouble just because Mickey is solving and stopping crime. The author goes on awkward long paragraphs about how Mickey "Loves the way the ball sounds when its being dribbled on the court." Mickey "Loves the sound of when the ball hits the backboard" and so on. It's rather awkward and it just made me really uncomfterable reading two pages of that crap, and It was a waist of time. Hopefully the last book will do the first two justice, or maybe I just can't stand the cheesy writing and the unrealistic plot.
June 22, 2016
This is book #2 of this fantastic series! Usually when an author of adult mysteries writes a young adult book it's a disaster. Not so here. I've never read an adult book by this author but I don't know how it could be any better.
In this book Mickey is struggling to understand what the Abeona Society, that his parents worked for all over the world, is really all about. He's chilled to see the Abeona butterfly symbol everywhere. What does this have to do with a WWII Nazi killer? Then his friend Rachel is shot. His friends, super smart Spoon and Ema, go into sleuth mode with him to figure out some very twisty mysteries. There are some twists and turns that left me breathless, and some bad guys I never want to meet. I must read book #3. I must "be there" when they exhume the body of Mickey's father!
In this book Mickey is struggling to understand what the Abeona Society, that his parents worked for all over the world, is really all about. He's chilled to see the Abeona butterfly symbol everywhere. What does this have to do with a WWII Nazi killer? Then his friend Rachel is shot. His friends, super smart Spoon and Ema, go into sleuth mode with him to figure out some very twisty mysteries. There are some twists and turns that left me breathless, and some bad guys I never want to meet. I must read book #3. I must "be there" when they exhume the body of Mickey's father!
February 4, 2017
This is the 2nd book in the Mickey Bolitar series. I enjoyed this one better than the first. I was glad to see that Myron had a bigger part to play in the story and he and Mickey seem to be getting on better than the first book. There were a few surprising twists in the story that I really didn't see coming. I love the endings of these books are they keep you wanting more. Thank goodness I have the next book in my hands and will be starting it later tonight and hopefully Harlan Coben will keep writing more Mickey and Myron books as his readers are definitely hungry for them. If you haven't starting reading the Myron Bolitar books, what are you waiting for? They are everything you ever wanted in a great mystery read: great characters, plots with lots of twists and turns with humor and wit.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
March 24, 2015
The second Mickey Bolitar novel takes place almost immediately the first one ends. Mickey is focused on basketball tryouts when Rachel Caldwell's mom is murdered and Rachel is shot. To complicate matters the Bat Lady tells Mickey that his father is not dead. Mickey knows he has to solve Rachel's mother's murder because it doesn't look like Chief Taylor is on the side of the Angels here but Mickey's decision has serious consequences for his friend Spoon. Meanwhile, Mickey almost got to varsity basketball before Chief Taylor nixed that by telling the coach all the code of conduct violations he's supposedly committed. The mystery of the Abeona shelter grows even deeper in this novel and if I could have gotten book three last night I would have started it immediately.
May 9, 2015
When looking for an audio for a road trip the first author I thought of was my favorite, Mr. Harlan Coben. I had not heard of Seconds Away. And until just a few moments ago, found out while entering this title into GoodReads, is part of a series! Aggh! Had I known, I would have started with the first novel. But, with this frustration short-lived, I remind myself, "This is Harlan Coben!!" My husband was involved in this read just as much as I was during our road trip.
We really enjoyed it. It was mysterious, suspenseful and we found ourselves making bets as to what twist and turn would happen next.
I think we'll go back and read the first Mickey Bolitar novel.
We really enjoyed it. It was mysterious, suspenseful and we found ourselves making bets as to what twist and turn would happen next.
I think we'll go back and read the first Mickey Bolitar novel.
March 2, 2014
I started reading this series because the adult Bolitar series was too over the top violent & I thought a YA series might remedy that while still being entertaining.
It is entertaining enough, but Coben does seem unable to resist crossing the plausibility line into No Way Ever Could This Happen territory.
That said, I was interested enough to keep reading, and will probably read the next book out of curiosity as to the outcome of all these mysteries.
It is entertaining enough, but Coben does seem unable to resist crossing the plausibility line into No Way Ever Could This Happen territory.
That said, I was interested enough to keep reading, and will probably read the next book out of curiosity as to the outcome of all these mysteries.
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