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Bombmaker
The English government have closed the borders with their Celtic neighbours. Any Celt found in England is branded with a tattoo, found twice they are executed. Scottish Lizzie is the 'property' of psychopathic London gang boss Alexander. Can Lizzie escape Alexander's deadly grip and at what price her betrayal?
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Claire McFall
12 books305 followersClaire McFall's work is, in essence, all about first love and difficult decisions. Her novels take straightforward romantic narratives and hurl them into unusual and extreme settings, blurring accepted genre boundaries and creating new sub-genres of her own. She then charts her characters' reactions to these unfamiliar situations and the new and confusing feelings that beset them in a hyper-real, engaging, deeply poignant and literary manner. Claire is a former teacher from Scotland who now lives in sunny Colorado with her husband, two children, and pooch, Jazz.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 5, 2015
I finished this book a couple days ago and only now writing my review! I loved this book and was so pleasantly surprised by it! I bought this book on a whim and I had no clue what it was about! I really enjoyed the characters and the writing! Is there a book two?
April 30, 2018
4/5 explosive stars.
I was looking for a stand alone book that would grab me from the beginning and not let go till the last page. This book delivered. It was a real page turner. Characters left a bit to be desired in that they were a bit one dimensional but all in all it was good.
I was looking for a stand alone book that would grab me from the beginning and not let go till the last page. This book delivered. It was a real page turner. Characters left a bit to be desired in that they were a bit one dimensional but all in all it was good.
December 22, 2018
Just like Ferryman, this is a book that will be glued to your hands from the beginning. It weaves a story of danger and love that is so intricate it will leave you grasping for more.
September 11, 2023
I think a lot of what I didn't like about this book is just because I'm not a fan of romance books in general. What I DID like about this book was the gritty setting and the sense of dread.
July 16, 2014
I have had Bombmaker sitting on my shelf waiting to be read since I received it at a blogger event, so I finally picked this up to read, and I could not put it down. The first chapter lets us see Lizzie in action, putting a bomb together and then getting the hell out of there. At first glance this action alone would put Lizzie in your 'dislike' list, but as the chapter continues you find out that Lizzie isn't what she seems and she does this to survive, she is owned by Alexander, a very rich and powerful person, who with the click of his fingers can hang a death sentence over your head. Lizzie is trapped, forced to live with Alexander and follow his every whim, or try to escape and end up dead. Below is a passage from the book that explain Lizzie's situation.
The economy has crashed and Great Britain had to choose to be ruled by Germany and France, or break away. The choice was made and Great Britain broke away, but this plan soon ended up making Great Britain bankrupt, the final straw was breaking the UK apart, each country for themselves, and England closed its borders to Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The punishment for trespassing into England without a visa was a tattoo placed on your face. Get caught again and already be branded is an instant death sentence.
Lizzie is a Celt, she was caught sleeping rough for one night and now has a tattoo branded on her cheek, she has no family to go home to and if she is caught again faces certain death. While her life with Alexander isn't exactly the life of luxury, it is a life of safety while Alexander deems her necessary.
Bombmaker was an explosive read, it kept me engrossed and wanting to read, to keep going till the last page. My heart pounded with every mission Lizzie was sent on, worried whether she would make it or not, and I don't think it slowed down during the last few chapters, even when I have finished reading I still can't rest fully. It can't have been that easy or that simple and I am pretty sure that what they think is a new life, is certainly not as safe as they expected.
Bombmaker is an unputdownable book that I could not read fast enough. The characters are either very likeable, or very easy to dislike and they all stand firmly in their category.
Lizzie has survived so much, and come so far from her meagre existence in Scotland. To live how she lives, under the rule of an egotistical, power hungry man, yet still come out fighting for her freedom is a sign of a true heroine.
Alexander leaves a lot to be desired, and while he has people falling all over him to do things for him, to jump to his every command, part of me wonders who actually wants to be there for the right reasons, and who is actually scared not to be there.
Samuel is Lizzie's rock throughout Bombmaker, however his unwavering loyalty to his brother makes it hard for Lizzie to see him as anything more than Alexander's brother, his henchman, and someone who she can't fully trust. As the story progress we see that Samuel can be loyal to people other than his brother, and he risks so much to keep Lizzie safe from harm, and from death.
I wish I had read Bombmaker sooner than I have so that I could actually have read and enjoyed this much sooner, but I am also glad I left it for a while, I leaves less waiting time for the next instalment which is being written right now
I was his. Not his wife, or his girlfriend. I was something he owned, like the building, or the sleek silver Jaguar he drove.........In fact, I was less than that, because he cared a great deal more for his fancy toys then he did for me.
[Page 17 uncorrected proof]
The economy has crashed and Great Britain had to choose to be ruled by Germany and France, or break away. The choice was made and Great Britain broke away, but this plan soon ended up making Great Britain bankrupt, the final straw was breaking the UK apart, each country for themselves, and England closed its borders to Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The punishment for trespassing into England without a visa was a tattoo placed on your face. Get caught again and already be branded is an instant death sentence.
Lizzie is a Celt, she was caught sleeping rough for one night and now has a tattoo branded on her cheek, she has no family to go home to and if she is caught again faces certain death. While her life with Alexander isn't exactly the life of luxury, it is a life of safety while Alexander deems her necessary.
Bombmaker was an explosive read, it kept me engrossed and wanting to read, to keep going till the last page. My heart pounded with every mission Lizzie was sent on, worried whether she would make it or not, and I don't think it slowed down during the last few chapters, even when I have finished reading I still can't rest fully. It can't have been that easy or that simple and I am pretty sure that what they think is a new life, is certainly not as safe as they expected.
Bombmaker is an unputdownable book that I could not read fast enough. The characters are either very likeable, or very easy to dislike and they all stand firmly in their category.
Lizzie has survived so much, and come so far from her meagre existence in Scotland. To live how she lives, under the rule of an egotistical, power hungry man, yet still come out fighting for her freedom is a sign of a true heroine.
Alexander leaves a lot to be desired, and while he has people falling all over him to do things for him, to jump to his every command, part of me wonders who actually wants to be there for the right reasons, and who is actually scared not to be there.
Samuel is Lizzie's rock throughout Bombmaker, however his unwavering loyalty to his brother makes it hard for Lizzie to see him as anything more than Alexander's brother, his henchman, and someone who she can't fully trust. As the story progress we see that Samuel can be loyal to people other than his brother, and he risks so much to keep Lizzie safe from harm, and from death.
I wish I had read Bombmaker sooner than I have so that I could actually have read and enjoyed this much sooner, but I am also glad I left it for a while, I leaves less waiting time for the next instalment which is being written right now
@MuchLovedBooks Hopefully! Writing it RIGHT NOW. Well, I'm meant to be. A good day today, though. 4k in the bag :)
— Claire McFall (@mcfall_claire) April 6, 2014
February 26, 2019
A little disappointed with the ending but I’m guessing there will be a sequel. Worth a read though.
April 7, 2014
CONTAINS SPOILERS
"BOMBMAKER" by Claire McFall is set in a world where Britain is broken and England has built walls around Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Any celts who are caught in England gets a Celtic knot tattooed on their cheek, if they are caught again they are killed. The story is of a girl named Lizzie who is saved by a gang boss (Alexander) and then becomes his property. She starts setting bombs off in GE buildings and anywhere Alexander wants her to. Everyone of her missions goes fine with Samuel being her driver, but then she is sent on a mission without him to blow a hole in the wall that Borders Wales, she returns after her driver killed. She tries to get away from the gang and is taken care of by Samuel who she falls for and then runs away with to Wales after blowing up Alexander's base.
This book can only be described in one word... EXPLOSIVE. This being the second book that Claire McFall has written can join "The Ferryman" as one of the best Scottish books for YA readers to come out in the last few years. The characters are written in such a way that their personalities seem to come out of the book and although their personalities are strong each one has a trait that can be relatable.
The plot is unique and with the Independence Referendum coming later this year it is very controversial. McFalls' book seems to take the worst possible thing to come from a yes vote and take it to the extreme, making it seem somehow real when compared to some other YA fiction.
When "The Ferryman" won the Scottish Book Award I was over the moon and I will be shocked if "BOMBMAKER" isn't at least nominated this year.
An amazing book for anyone looking for a believable page turner from a great author (and a amazing English teacher).
"BOMBMAKER" by Claire McFall is set in a world where Britain is broken and England has built walls around Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Any celts who are caught in England gets a Celtic knot tattooed on their cheek, if they are caught again they are killed. The story is of a girl named Lizzie who is saved by a gang boss (Alexander) and then becomes his property. She starts setting bombs off in GE buildings and anywhere Alexander wants her to. Everyone of her missions goes fine with Samuel being her driver, but then she is sent on a mission without him to blow a hole in the wall that Borders Wales, she returns after her driver killed. She tries to get away from the gang and is taken care of by Samuel who she falls for and then runs away with to Wales after blowing up Alexander's base.
This book can only be described in one word... EXPLOSIVE. This being the second book that Claire McFall has written can join "The Ferryman" as one of the best Scottish books for YA readers to come out in the last few years. The characters are written in such a way that their personalities seem to come out of the book and although their personalities are strong each one has a trait that can be relatable.
The plot is unique and with the Independence Referendum coming later this year it is very controversial. McFalls' book seems to take the worst possible thing to come from a yes vote and take it to the extreme, making it seem somehow real when compared to some other YA fiction.
When "The Ferryman" won the Scottish Book Award I was over the moon and I will be shocked if "BOMBMAKER" isn't at least nominated this year.
An amazing book for anyone looking for a believable page turner from a great author (and a amazing English teacher).
April 18, 2015
"It tasted awful, but it felt good."
This is a stunning novel. It has a huge, gritty, post-apocalyptic feel to it, nevermind that the apocalypse was financial and socially dehumanising rather than caused by zombies, aliens or viruses. I was put in mind of Ken Jack’sUnited States of Europe of course, but Mcfall has that young-adult voice of Chris Ryan, Eoin Colfer and Anthony Horowitz nailed to perfection.
The subject matter is also very topical: devolution was a serious public thought last year, and the extrapolation here is deft and terrifying. The work is very UK-centric, which is a refreshing change for me at least, and is seriously one of the most gripping, compellingly forceful works to cross my screen in a long time. I found it in a newspaper, if you’ll believe that - The best young adult books of 2014 from the Telegraph; and I couldn’t put it down. If you like your teens building bombs, your countries socially divided and the possibility of the celts being chucked out of England ever occurred to you, this is seriously worth your time.
This is a stunning novel. It has a huge, gritty, post-apocalyptic feel to it, nevermind that the apocalypse was financial and socially dehumanising rather than caused by zombies, aliens or viruses. I was put in mind of Ken Jack’sUnited States of Europe of course, but Mcfall has that young-adult voice of Chris Ryan, Eoin Colfer and Anthony Horowitz nailed to perfection.
The subject matter is also very topical: devolution was a serious public thought last year, and the extrapolation here is deft and terrifying. The work is very UK-centric, which is a refreshing change for me at least, and is seriously one of the most gripping, compellingly forceful works to cross my screen in a long time. I found it in a newspaper, if you’ll believe that - The best young adult books of 2014 from the Telegraph; and I couldn’t put it down. If you like your teens building bombs, your countries socially divided and the possibility of the celts being chucked out of England ever occurred to you, this is seriously worth your time.
March 25, 2014
So....Well
I did really enjoy this book.
Lizzie is a celt; branded and outcast, living on borrowed time in England & trying to survive being a tool for a heavy hitting 'freedom fighter'/gang boss Alexander.
Good, great, wonderful. It was an interesting premise, and I felt like the author made some effort to fill out some background characters that would normally get missed out in a debut authors book. Well done Clare.
I just really hated that she was so creepily attached to her new love interest. And that he treated her like an abused little puppy that he'd found on the side of the road. And it was probably the whole point, to show that she was abused and didn't know any other way to be, I get that, but it just tickled me in an uncomfortable way.
He blatantly only wanted her because she had always belonged to his brother. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into that, I don't know. Uncomfortableness. Shh, it's a word.
I can't figure out how to convey it with some finesse so we'll just say that I liked the book until the end, where Samuel and Lizzies relationship struck an off chord with me.
I did really enjoy this book.
Lizzie is a celt; branded and outcast, living on borrowed time in England & trying to survive being a tool for a heavy hitting 'freedom fighter'/gang boss Alexander.
Good, great, wonderful. It was an interesting premise, and I felt like the author made some effort to fill out some background characters that would normally get missed out in a debut authors book. Well done Clare.
I just really hated that she was so creepily attached to her new love interest. And that he treated her like an abused little puppy that he'd found on the side of the road. And it was probably the whole point, to show that she was abused and didn't know any other way to be, I get that, but it just tickled me in an uncomfortable way.
He blatantly only wanted her because she had always belonged to his brother. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into that, I don't know. Uncomfortableness. Shh, it's a word.
I can't figure out how to convey it with some finesse so we'll just say that I liked the book until the end, where Samuel and Lizzies relationship struck an off chord with me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2015
This was the story of a broken Britain, the dystopian background to the story appeared feasible because of the current political climate. The main character; Lizzie is under the control and is dominated by a gangster called Alex. The theme of their relationship may not be deemed appropriate by some parents for the younger end of the YA group but it is approached in a manner that is not overly detailed.
The book is imaginative and unique but is clever because it takes ideas that are current to their extreme and even rebuilds Hadrian's wall. A subject that was joked about during the recent Scottish Referendum.
I enjoyed the story and the characters but I was unconvinced by the Mark part of the storyline. It just didn't fit with what we knew of Lizzie and I'm not sure if she would be so naive about the consequences of her 'escape'.
The last chapter leaves the story open to a sequel and a very different Lizzie. I hope the author does as there is plenty of scope for another book.
Overall a very good read and I will be looking out for any other books by this author.
The book is imaginative and unique but is clever because it takes ideas that are current to their extreme and even rebuilds Hadrian's wall. A subject that was joked about during the recent Scottish Referendum.
I enjoyed the story and the characters but I was unconvinced by the Mark part of the storyline. It just didn't fit with what we knew of Lizzie and I'm not sure if she would be so naive about the consequences of her 'escape'.
The last chapter leaves the story open to a sequel and a very different Lizzie. I hope the author does as there is plenty of scope for another book.
Overall a very good read and I will be looking out for any other books by this author.
January 7, 2016
Lizzie is a Celt living illegally in England – a country which persecutes Celts- under the protection of gang boss Alexander. Although at first Lizzie believes Alexander has saved her she realises that she now belongs to him. Lizzie is skilled at setting bombs but will this be enough to keep her alive?
The story dives right into the action and continues to move quickly throughout. Several complex relationships are also explored in the book. Lizzie’s relationship with Alexander, she remains loyal to him even though he treats her like his property. Alexander’s brother Samuel is starkly different to Alexander and as the story progresses the bond between Lizzie and Samuel strengthens.
“Bomb Maker” gives an insight into alternative reasons behind terrorism and the struggles faced by those whose lives are controlled by others.
I would recommend “Bomb Maker” to others and would rate it 9/10.
The story dives right into the action and continues to move quickly throughout. Several complex relationships are also explored in the book. Lizzie’s relationship with Alexander, she remains loyal to him even though he treats her like his property. Alexander’s brother Samuel is starkly different to Alexander and as the story progresses the bond between Lizzie and Samuel strengthens.
“Bomb Maker” gives an insight into alternative reasons behind terrorism and the struggles faced by those whose lives are controlled by others.
I would recommend “Bomb Maker” to others and would rate it 9/10.
June 24, 2014
This was much darker than the first of Claire McFall's books I'd read, Ferryman and is a very different type of book, but no less enjoyable for all that.
The story is set in a dystopian near-future Britain. The main character Lizzy lives a precarious life with sociopathic terrorist-cum-gangster Alexander in an England where Celts (Scots, Welsh and Irish) have been excluded from England, which has become a crime ridden totalitarian state. Celts caught in England once are tattooed and sent back. Those caught twice are executed - and Lizzie has already been marked. Caught between a rock and a hard place, she's forced to use her special talents in the "struggle" to remain useful enough to be kept alive.
A gritty, tense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
The story is set in a dystopian near-future Britain. The main character Lizzy lives a precarious life with sociopathic terrorist-cum-gangster Alexander in an England where Celts (Scots, Welsh and Irish) have been excluded from England, which has become a crime ridden totalitarian state. Celts caught in England once are tattooed and sent back. Those caught twice are executed - and Lizzie has already been marked. Caught between a rock and a hard place, she's forced to use her special talents in the "struggle" to remain useful enough to be kept alive.
A gritty, tense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
March 19, 2014
This was an amazing book . It truly was . At first i tot lizzie and mark would get together but turns out it was lizzie and samuel , it was pretty obvious that both of them would get together at the end . I really love all the character in this story especially lizzie and Samuel , of course . I really tot Samuel was going to either leave lizzie and let her die by her own / kill by Alexander , or maybe he might have been killed by his brother , Alexander . It was a really mind blowing , And i love it ! HOPEFULLY Claire would make a 2nd season on this book . Cuz i really really reallyyyy love it ! Words cant describe how i am feeling right now .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2015
I actually really enjoyed this. The writing didn't blow me away, but it was easy to read and didn't distract from the plot. The main character is sympathetic mainly because she's trapped in horrendous circumstances -- you can forgive her the awful things she's been forced to do. And the premise of the book's pretty interesting too. It definitely felt like it was setting up for a sequel, so I'll be keeping an eye out for that.
March 21, 2015
I didn't like it that much. What I did like was the setting: a dystopian England that keeps the Celts out ( a wall, tattoos and illegal entry punishable by death) . But unfortunately the characters are one-dimensional, the storytelling stiff and predictable, the ending lame. No real tension, no depth, a real shame. But I'm sure this won't keep the intended audience. ( 15/16 year-old girls) from picking it up.. And that's allright..
December 14, 2021
Bombmaker… I wasn't sure what to expect with this book where the UK has been broken down and fenced up and where foreigners are branded on the fence if there caught then killed if they are caught twice!
December 23, 2015
5/5 stars.
This was amazing. Such a gripping and exciting read, I could hardly put it down most of the time. In my opinion this book deserves much more credit and I recommend it to everyone looking for a riveting and gripping, action-filled read with an interesting premise!
This was amazing. Such a gripping and exciting read, I could hardly put it down most of the time. In my opinion this book deserves much more credit and I recommend it to everyone looking for a riveting and gripping, action-filled read with an interesting premise!
March 27, 2015
A brilliant, brilliant book.
You can watch my video review of it here.
You can watch my video review of it here.
August 7, 2016
Suspenseful and always on the edge of my seat. Definitely a Page tuner! I could hardly put it down to sleep.
March 21, 2014
tension and terror leap off every page!
January 27, 2015
I wasn't sure when I first heard of this book but actually I really enjoyed it. Very gritty and very much a page turner.
June 19, 2014
A well written story with characters you invest in. Can't wait for the sequel.
August 4, 2014
This book was ten times better than I was expecting! I enjoyed that it was a dystopian set in Great Britain and felt that the reason for the uk falling apart could genuinely happen.
November 30, 2014
This book was so dark and action packed. I loved it so much, it had me reading more and more. It made me feel as constricted as Lizzie was and I grimaced whenever she grimaced.
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October 19, 2016Good writing but didn't quite hook me in.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews