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Your Time Is Up
One has a secret, one of them saw, there's blood on the papers, who'll take the fall?
Zaina never meant to get involved. The plan was always to focus on her exams, make her dad proud.
But none of this is what she'd planned for. Chanelle never made it to the exam; Nero's convinced he saw something last night and Ysla can't stop crying.
As Zaina starts to scratch the surface of secrets which desperately want to stay hidden she begins to wonder ... how far will they go to keep her from the truth?
Zaina never meant to get involved. The plan was always to focus on her exams, make her dad proud.
But none of this is what she'd planned for. Chanelle never made it to the exam; Nero's convinced he saw something last night and Ysla can't stop crying.
As Zaina starts to scratch the surface of secrets which desperately want to stay hidden she begins to wonder ... how far will they go to keep her from the truth?
272 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 8, 2024
Your Time is up
By Sarah Naughton
Genre: YA mystery Thriller
Format: Book 📕
Publication date: 9th May 2024
🌟: 5/5
I really loved this book, it kept me guessing right up until the big reveal and I loved the ending!
Initially I really disliked the main character but it quickly became apparent to me why she was the way she was and I really empathised with her. I thought her character development was really good.
The story really only takes place over a few hours with the odd flash back and forward, I thought it was a really unique way to tell the story and worked really well, for the most part I had no idea what was going on and I was constantly trying to figure out what everyone was upto.
A great portrayal of what it’s like taking exams at high school and sixth form in the U.K. (even though it was a long while ago for me lol) I thought the author captured that age and feeling really well.
Thanks to @sarahnaughtonauthor, @scholastic_uk, @tinamories for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and @kaleidoscopictours for having me on this tour.
#bookstagramuk #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #newbook #booklover #bookobsessed #booknerd #readersgonnaread #readersofinstagram #bookish #bibliophile#bookstagrammersunite #bookishfeatures #bookstagramcommunity #YourTimeIsUp
By Sarah Naughton
Genre: YA mystery Thriller
Format: Book 📕
Publication date: 9th May 2024
🌟: 5/5
I really loved this book, it kept me guessing right up until the big reveal and I loved the ending!
Initially I really disliked the main character but it quickly became apparent to me why she was the way she was and I really empathised with her. I thought her character development was really good.
The story really only takes place over a few hours with the odd flash back and forward, I thought it was a really unique way to tell the story and worked really well, for the most part I had no idea what was going on and I was constantly trying to figure out what everyone was upto.
A great portrayal of what it’s like taking exams at high school and sixth form in the U.K. (even though it was a long while ago for me lol) I thought the author captured that age and feeling really well.
Thanks to @sarahnaughtonauthor, @scholastic_uk, @tinamories for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and @kaleidoscopictours for having me on this tour.
#bookstagramuk #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #newbook #booklover #bookobsessed #booknerd #readersgonnaread #readersofinstagram #bookish #bibliophile#bookstagrammersunite #bookishfeatures #bookstagramcommunity #YourTimeIsUp
September 4, 2024
oke heb deze (beginnende na 40 pagina’s die ik wel al eerder had gelezen) aan een stuk uitgelezen en hoewel dit niet was wat ik had verwacht toen ik de cover bekeek en het mystery gedeelte niet echt mystery was want ik had het gewoon heel snel al voorspelt, was dit echt wel een leuk verhaal imo! het verhaal draait nl niet voornamelijk om het murder mystery gedeelte, dat blijft meer op de achtergrond tot het laatste 1/3e ongeveer en daarvoor is het ook gewoon al een interessant verhaal vind ik (vanaf dat ik mijn eerdere verwachtingen aan de kant had geschoven)
ook hoe het geschreven is: je hebt verschillende schrijfstijlen wat het verfrissend houdt: de helft van de tijd leer je wat er tijdens het examen gebeurde, de andere helft gaat het ofwel over wat er op een feestje gebeurde ofwel zijn het interviews (of 1 krantenartikel jippie)
also ik las dat iemand zei dat ze nero niet mocht vergeven ma ik ben gewoon team nero <3
3,5✨
ook hoe het geschreven is: je hebt verschillende schrijfstijlen wat het verfrissend houdt: de helft van de tijd leer je wat er tijdens het examen gebeurde, de andere helft gaat het ofwel over wat er op een feestje gebeurde ofwel zijn het interviews (of 1 krantenartikel jippie)
also ik las dat iemand zei dat ze nero niet mocht vergeven ma ik ben gewoon team nero <3
3,5✨
April 20, 2024
i feel bad not only for being the first review, but also for being a 2 star one. i read this in one sitting and the premise of the book sounded so good so i was really excited. however i have to say that i was disappointed.
the first reason (might be because of me), but when i heard it was a YA thriller i guess i got my hopes up thinking it would be an epic murder mystery or something similar to “one of us is lying”, your average “everyone has secrets” etc because of the way it was described. however i felt like the mystery was a tiny part of the book and that it only escalated in the last 50-100 pages?
i was personally not that into the story and other things that happened and i guess it felt somewhat plain and boring…
another thing i hated was something specific at the end (which also made me remove a star).
mild spoilers below
i hated the fact that nero was forgiven & all was good at the end.. honestly don’t really need to explain more if you read it then you know, but i would prefer if they just stayed friends..
the only thing i loved about the book was zaina’s depiction of anxiety and grief, because i literally felt the exact same way when i was doing my a levels! i literally relate so much to her and it reminded me of myself…
thank you to scholastic for sending me an early copy for review, all opinions are my own.
the first reason (might be because of me), but when i heard it was a YA thriller i guess i got my hopes up thinking it would be an epic murder mystery or something similar to “one of us is lying”, your average “everyone has secrets” etc because of the way it was described. however i felt like the mystery was a tiny part of the book and that it only escalated in the last 50-100 pages?
i was personally not that into the story and other things that happened and i guess it felt somewhat plain and boring…
another thing i hated was something specific at the end (which also made me remove a star).
mild spoilers below
i hated the fact that nero was forgiven & all was good at the end.. honestly don’t really need to explain more if you read it then you know, but i would prefer if they just stayed friends..
the only thing i loved about the book was zaina’s depiction of anxiety and grief, because i literally felt the exact same way when i was doing my a levels! i literally relate so much to her and it reminded me of myself…
thank you to scholastic for sending me an early copy for review, all opinions are my own.
August 17, 2024
If you're a YA fan, then you will enjoy this!
I enjoyed the story, a fast and easy read! I rated this 3 stars as it could've done with a bit more of a finish, or at least maybe a better reasoning behind the story.
Having said that, I read it easily, and it kept me happily turning the pages.
I enjoyed the story, a fast and easy read! I rated this 3 stars as it could've done with a bit more of a finish, or at least maybe a better reasoning behind the story.
Having said that, I read it easily, and it kept me happily turning the pages.
August 19, 2025
Sorry, no.
August 27, 2024
So bad
May 3, 2024
I got chills
May 5, 2024
This was a really quick YA read that I finished in two days.
Zaina wants to focus on her exams and get the grades she has worked hard for. She’s competing against 2 other girls for the highest marks in the year: Ysla and Chanelle. But when Chanelle doesn’t turn up for her exam, and Zaina finds blood splattered on her front page, she can’t help but wonder where she is? And is she in danger?
The premise of this book sounds brilliant doesn’t it? I liked how the author really did pack the book full of realistic portrayals of what the exam period felt like for me. The slight distractions and thoughts running through Zaina’s head during the exam was exactly what it was like for me.
I also appreciated the multiple different writing styles in one book. The police interviews interwoven with narrative kept my interest.
However, I do feel like this book was a bit of a miss for me 🥺 I’m not sure YA is for me. The lack of depth these characters had was surprising since the first 250 pages of the book was solely character development. Nothing actually happened until the last 50 pages and even then it was all explained in one page. I didn’t feel the suspense I wanted to feel or the connection to the characters that would make me care if they died. I was waiting for this huge mystery but instead I got 250 pages of a grade A student worrying about her grades.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure I was the target audience for this book and I should maybe stick with adult fiction going forward. The cover is stunning though.
Zaina wants to focus on her exams and get the grades she has worked hard for. She’s competing against 2 other girls for the highest marks in the year: Ysla and Chanelle. But when Chanelle doesn’t turn up for her exam, and Zaina finds blood splattered on her front page, she can’t help but wonder where she is? And is she in danger?
The premise of this book sounds brilliant doesn’t it? I liked how the author really did pack the book full of realistic portrayals of what the exam period felt like for me. The slight distractions and thoughts running through Zaina’s head during the exam was exactly what it was like for me.
I also appreciated the multiple different writing styles in one book. The police interviews interwoven with narrative kept my interest.
However, I do feel like this book was a bit of a miss for me 🥺 I’m not sure YA is for me. The lack of depth these characters had was surprising since the first 250 pages of the book was solely character development. Nothing actually happened until the last 50 pages and even then it was all explained in one page. I didn’t feel the suspense I wanted to feel or the connection to the characters that would make me care if they died. I was waiting for this huge mystery but instead I got 250 pages of a grade A student worrying about her grades.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure I was the target audience for this book and I should maybe stick with adult fiction going forward. The cover is stunning though.
July 4, 2024
Addictive fast paced and packed with drama
✬ Zaina has one goal, to focus on her exams and fulfil the promise she made to her Dad before he died…she studies hard and is determined to win her college’s maths prize.
✬ But her rival Chanelle never made it to the exam and Nero is sure he saw her come into school.
✬ Ylsa is sobbing, it is excruciatingly hot and Poppy her ex best friend is a few seats away….
✬ Plus fallout from the one party Zaina was persuaded to attend is all around her.
✬ And there is blood on the papers.
✬ Secrets, lies, friendship and romance unravel in this twisty unputdownable mystery.
I loved the fast pace of this one and the way it unfolded in real time. I also liked Zaina and the dynamic between her and Nero. The rivalry between Zaina, Chanelle and Ylsa, the school atmosphere and the teachers were catptured perfectly…the school is a complicated place and beneath the quiet surface of the exam room lies a world of grief, passion and heartbreak.
The gritty fast moving writing style was brilliant.
This one is perfect for devouring on a sunny afternoon…it gave me exam flashbacks and left me reeling…and thirsting for more YA thrillers...
✬ Zaina has one goal, to focus on her exams and fulfil the promise she made to her Dad before he died…she studies hard and is determined to win her college’s maths prize.
✬ But her rival Chanelle never made it to the exam and Nero is sure he saw her come into school.
✬ Ylsa is sobbing, it is excruciatingly hot and Poppy her ex best friend is a few seats away….
✬ Plus fallout from the one party Zaina was persuaded to attend is all around her.
✬ And there is blood on the papers.
✬ Secrets, lies, friendship and romance unravel in this twisty unputdownable mystery.
I loved the fast pace of this one and the way it unfolded in real time. I also liked Zaina and the dynamic between her and Nero. The rivalry between Zaina, Chanelle and Ylsa, the school atmosphere and the teachers were catptured perfectly…the school is a complicated place and beneath the quiet surface of the exam room lies a world of grief, passion and heartbreak.
The gritty fast moving writing style was brilliant.
This one is perfect for devouring on a sunny afternoon…it gave me exam flashbacks and left me reeling…and thirsting for more YA thrillers...
February 2, 2025
3 stars. Eh it was okay, if it were any longer it would have been a struggle to finish
April 4, 2025
Loved it!!!
June 21, 2024
Jemig. Wat was dit? Dat hele verhaal over die party is totaal nutteloos geweest en de rest van het verhaal eigenlijk ook🙃 Ik weet dat ik een YA heb gelezen en dat ik door de ogen van een jongvolwassene zou moeten kijken, maar ik heb het idee dat menig jongvolwassene het ook tijdverspilling vindt.
May 19, 2024
4.25 stars
What if the worst thing about your A-Level Maths Exam wasn’t the equations?
Take one ticking clock, subtract memories of a drunken party, equals poor Zaina feeling the pressure. She wants to make her late dad proud and win the School Maths prize as well as get into her university of choice. But she also wants to know that she has won it all by being the best. And with one of her rivals sobbing throughout the exam and another one not having turned up the competition doesn’t feel very fair.
Add to that a falling out with your two best friends, one of whom seems determined to get you caught out for cheating by passing you notes and an AirPod, teachers prowling the exam room, students on “toilet breaks” prowling the school. Distractions are everywhere. Divide it all by blood splatter on the front of your exam paper, and concentrating on quadratic equations becomes the last thing on her mind.
How can Zaina solve a disappearance - or maybe something worse, make up with her best friends, destroy her rivals, make her family proud and maybe even find love in the space of two supposedly silent hours.
Your Time Is Up is a tense thriller with an excellent hook. Zaina’s point of view during the exam is interspersed with her memories of the party she never should have gone to and police interviews with some of the “prime numbers” in the case.
Zaina’s pull between doing what she thinks is right and wanting to block everything out to fulfill her final promise to her dad definitely adds up to an engaging read. We also get a well developed sense of all the secondary characters that feature with each of them going on their own journey.
I would share a quote from near the end where Zaira’s mum gives her some wonderful words of wisdom that I think every teen facing GCSEs or A-levels but instead pop a copy of this book in their hands and they will be so relaxed heading into their next exam though simply knowing it won’t be as eventful as this one.
Fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M
McManus will enjoy this riveting rollercoaster. It even features actual maths discussion so may come in useful as revision for your maths exam!
Huge thanks to Bee at Kaleidoscopic Tours, Tina Moore’s and Scholastic for the #gifted copy for the purposes of an honest review. Do check out the other tour stops to see what everyone else thought.
What if the worst thing about your A-Level Maths Exam wasn’t the equations?
Take one ticking clock, subtract memories of a drunken party, equals poor Zaina feeling the pressure. She wants to make her late dad proud and win the School Maths prize as well as get into her university of choice. But she also wants to know that she has won it all by being the best. And with one of her rivals sobbing throughout the exam and another one not having turned up the competition doesn’t feel very fair.
Add to that a falling out with your two best friends, one of whom seems determined to get you caught out for cheating by passing you notes and an AirPod, teachers prowling the exam room, students on “toilet breaks” prowling the school. Distractions are everywhere. Divide it all by blood splatter on the front of your exam paper, and concentrating on quadratic equations becomes the last thing on her mind.
How can Zaina solve a disappearance - or maybe something worse, make up with her best friends, destroy her rivals, make her family proud and maybe even find love in the space of two supposedly silent hours.
Your Time Is Up is a tense thriller with an excellent hook. Zaina’s point of view during the exam is interspersed with her memories of the party she never should have gone to and police interviews with some of the “prime numbers” in the case.
Zaina’s pull between doing what she thinks is right and wanting to block everything out to fulfill her final promise to her dad definitely adds up to an engaging read. We also get a well developed sense of all the secondary characters that feature with each of them going on their own journey.
I would share a quote from near the end where Zaira’s mum gives her some wonderful words of wisdom that I think every teen facing GCSEs or A-levels but instead pop a copy of this book in their hands and they will be so relaxed heading into their next exam though simply knowing it won’t be as eventful as this one.
Fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M
McManus will enjoy this riveting rollercoaster. It even features actual maths discussion so may come in useful as revision for your maths exam!
Huge thanks to Bee at Kaleidoscopic Tours, Tina Moore’s and Scholastic for the #gifted copy for the purposes of an honest review. Do check out the other tour stops to see what everyone else thought.
May 17, 2024
I was sent a copy of this book for review.
Zaina is driven by the need to succeed to keep a promise to her recently deceased father that she will focus all her energy on getting top marks in her exams, securing her place at university and achieving a high-paying successful career. She has sacrificed her social life and relationships with family and friends for this goal. Zaina has only one maths paper left to complete before her A-levels are finished but her unhealthy rivalry with her fellow top scoring students coupled with the ongoing fallout from her best friends’ betrayal, finally starts to take its toll.
As the exam progresses Zaina is pulled into the disappearance of a fellow student called Chanelle and the illegal plans to cheat in the exam of another student. On top of this she is unable to stop reliving the memory of what led her to ending her friendships after a recent party as well as flashing back to clues as to what might have happened to Chanelle.
Will Zaina risk her academic future to assist a rival, will she follow the clues to the truth about what is happening in her school or will she keep her head down and focus on the exam ignoring the dangers and mysteries around her?
🌟🌟🌟🌟This certainly was a read in one sitting kind of story. I liked the use of the ticking clock in the exam to represent the pressurised experience both in the exam and with the unfolding events in the present day. The use of flashbacks with that allowed the reader to see what occurred to bring the main characters to where they are now and to understand their motivations. The feeling of stress and the tunnelled mindset that exams can create was perfectly expressed in the story adding a heightened intention to the narrative. I felt for Zaina as she dealt with the pressures of making her dad proud by striving to be best at all her subjects while also coping with the hurt and loneliness her friends have caused her. It was an interesting YA thriller and I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going but I was intrigued to find out.
Zaina is driven by the need to succeed to keep a promise to her recently deceased father that she will focus all her energy on getting top marks in her exams, securing her place at university and achieving a high-paying successful career. She has sacrificed her social life and relationships with family and friends for this goal. Zaina has only one maths paper left to complete before her A-levels are finished but her unhealthy rivalry with her fellow top scoring students coupled with the ongoing fallout from her best friends’ betrayal, finally starts to take its toll.
As the exam progresses Zaina is pulled into the disappearance of a fellow student called Chanelle and the illegal plans to cheat in the exam of another student. On top of this she is unable to stop reliving the memory of what led her to ending her friendships after a recent party as well as flashing back to clues as to what might have happened to Chanelle.
Will Zaina risk her academic future to assist a rival, will she follow the clues to the truth about what is happening in her school or will she keep her head down and focus on the exam ignoring the dangers and mysteries around her?
🌟🌟🌟🌟This certainly was a read in one sitting kind of story. I liked the use of the ticking clock in the exam to represent the pressurised experience both in the exam and with the unfolding events in the present day. The use of flashbacks with that allowed the reader to see what occurred to bring the main characters to where they are now and to understand their motivations. The feeling of stress and the tunnelled mindset that exams can create was perfectly expressed in the story adding a heightened intention to the narrative. I felt for Zaina as she dealt with the pressures of making her dad proud by striving to be best at all her subjects while also coping with the hurt and loneliness her friends have caused her. It was an interesting YA thriller and I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going but I was intrigued to find out.
June 9, 2024
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
YOUR TIME IS UP captures the intense stress of exam season and then asks how it could be worse - add a missing person and some blood.
Exam season is full of pressure on students - from themselves, from family, from society, and from the school. This book explores that through Zaina and her classmates and some of the lengths they go to in order to cope with the pressure, like self-harming.
Her dad has put so much pressure on her, telling her that a failure here will cost her life. Was it potentially well meaning? Yes, but it's completely the wrong thing to do as it dominates her mental health, sacrificing everything - like friendships and extracurricular - in order to revise. It's a warning about having a balanced life and not investing everything in one set of exams, while also being a scathing rejoinder to a society and educational system that places too much value in.
The exam hall itself is tense. The book captures the stifling claustrophobia of the setting, the looming paper, the distracting noises of invigilators walking about, pens on paper, coughing, moving in chairs. You can really get trapped in your head in that situation and this book does that, adding a search for a missing student as another distraction.
The book is told in dual timeline between the exam and a party a few days before. I really liked that the party wasn't the cause of the problem during the exam (which it usually would be.) Instead, this party shows the effect the exam season is having on people, gaining an insight into the mindsets of the characters. It's a nice piece of misdirection too.
YOUR TIME IS UP captures the intense stress of exam season and then asks how it could be worse - add a missing person and some blood.
Exam season is full of pressure on students - from themselves, from family, from society, and from the school. This book explores that through Zaina and her classmates and some of the lengths they go to in order to cope with the pressure, like self-harming.
Her dad has put so much pressure on her, telling her that a failure here will cost her life. Was it potentially well meaning? Yes, but it's completely the wrong thing to do as it dominates her mental health, sacrificing everything - like friendships and extracurricular - in order to revise. It's a warning about having a balanced life and not investing everything in one set of exams, while also being a scathing rejoinder to a society and educational system that places too much value in.
The exam hall itself is tense. The book captures the stifling claustrophobia of the setting, the looming paper, the distracting noises of invigilators walking about, pens on paper, coughing, moving in chairs. You can really get trapped in your head in that situation and this book does that, adding a search for a missing student as another distraction.
The book is told in dual timeline between the exam and a party a few days before. I really liked that the party wasn't the cause of the problem during the exam (which it usually would be.) Instead, this party shows the effect the exam season is having on people, gaining an insight into the mindsets of the characters. It's a nice piece of misdirection too.
June 1, 2024
#yourtimeisup - thank you @scholastic_uk and @sarahnaughtonauthor for an early copy of this pulse pounding read!
Told in real time, Zaina is about to sit her final exam. As if that isn't enough, there is blood on the paper and that is only the beginning of a 2 hr period she will never forget...
I read this over a few days. The chapters are long, but the pace is so fast I didn't notice. I loved how the story went from a past event to present, and weaved in a selection of police interviews. This really added to the tension.
Naughton does not shy away from difficult subject matters. These things are real and happening and I applaud how she sensitively handles this in her writing - trigger warnings are listed at the start of the book.
The last chapter (no spoilers) held some very moving and poignant prose. It was the only time I took pause reading this book as I wanted to savour the words again. I loved the message in this book; to focus on what is real, and that being the important things we don't always see but are most certainly there.
Sarah Naughton is an automatic pre buy author for me. She is a wonderful writer and I'm excited to see what comes next.
Highly recommend this read! It's a 5 star. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Told in real time, Zaina is about to sit her final exam. As if that isn't enough, there is blood on the paper and that is only the beginning of a 2 hr period she will never forget...
I read this over a few days. The chapters are long, but the pace is so fast I didn't notice. I loved how the story went from a past event to present, and weaved in a selection of police interviews. This really added to the tension.
Naughton does not shy away from difficult subject matters. These things are real and happening and I applaud how she sensitively handles this in her writing - trigger warnings are listed at the start of the book.
The last chapter (no spoilers) held some very moving and poignant prose. It was the only time I took pause reading this book as I wanted to savour the words again. I loved the message in this book; to focus on what is real, and that being the important things we don't always see but are most certainly there.
Sarah Naughton is an automatic pre buy author for me. She is a wonderful writer and I'm excited to see what comes next.
Highly recommend this read! It's a 5 star. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
May 15, 2024
**TW**
Su*cide, su*cidal thoughts, death of a parent, grief, anxiety, mental health, gr00ming
Your Time Is Up was quite a fast-paced thriller that could be read in one sitting. It took me a moment to catch onto the time-frames of this book as we swapped between Exam and Party.
I think the parts of this book that kept gripping me were the interviews. Every time one of them came up I was fed a little more information and I just wanted to know what happened and why. I was also curious as to why it was these certain people that got interviewed but it all came together in the end.
The conclusion was well done although it did feel slightly anti-climatic. I'll be honest in saying I'm unsure if it only felt this way because I read through it so quickly but it just didn't feel super fleshed out. But I did love the outcome two months later, I'm glad that's how things turned out to be.
Zaina's character was a tricky one to understand at first but as I read on, I empathised more with her and was happy to see her character grow.
I did enjoy Naughton's writing and I would love to read another of her books in the future.
Su*cide, su*cidal thoughts, death of a parent, grief, anxiety, mental health, gr00ming
Your Time Is Up was quite a fast-paced thriller that could be read in one sitting. It took me a moment to catch onto the time-frames of this book as we swapped between Exam and Party.
I think the parts of this book that kept gripping me were the interviews. Every time one of them came up I was fed a little more information and I just wanted to know what happened and why. I was also curious as to why it was these certain people that got interviewed but it all came together in the end.
The conclusion was well done although it did feel slightly anti-climatic. I'll be honest in saying I'm unsure if it only felt this way because I read through it so quickly but it just didn't feel super fleshed out. But I did love the outcome two months later, I'm glad that's how things turned out to be.
Zaina's character was a tricky one to understand at first but as I read on, I empathised more with her and was happy to see her character grow.
I did enjoy Naughton's writing and I would love to read another of her books in the future.
August 20, 2025
⭐️ Book Review ⭐️
Your Time Is Up by Sarah Naughton
I don’t read much YA fiction but I was gifted this one as as I’m collecting for the school library I thought I’d read it and see if it’s suitable to add to the pile. It’s rated 14+ so I think it’s fine for the older year groups, so I’ll be gifting it on to the school.
Your Time Is Up by Sarah Naughton is a tense and emotionally charged YA thriller that unfolds during a single A-Level Maths exam, where a blood-stained test paper sparks a chilling mystery. The story follows Zaina Abbour, a high-achieving student grappling with grief, as she uncovers disturbing truths about her classmates and teachers through flashbacks, police interviews, and real-time tension. With themes of trauma, abuse, and the pressure to succeed, the novel explores how silence can protect secrets but also perpetuate harm. Naughton’s layered characters and fragmented narrative create a gripping, fast-paced read that keeps you guessing. It’s a perfect read to ease young adults into the world of thrillers !
#bookreview #YAfiction #scholasticbooks #readandreview #books #readmorebooks #excitingreads #bookstagram
Your Time Is Up by Sarah Naughton
I don’t read much YA fiction but I was gifted this one as as I’m collecting for the school library I thought I’d read it and see if it’s suitable to add to the pile. It’s rated 14+ so I think it’s fine for the older year groups, so I’ll be gifting it on to the school.
Your Time Is Up by Sarah Naughton is a tense and emotionally charged YA thriller that unfolds during a single A-Level Maths exam, where a blood-stained test paper sparks a chilling mystery. The story follows Zaina Abbour, a high-achieving student grappling with grief, as she uncovers disturbing truths about her classmates and teachers through flashbacks, police interviews, and real-time tension. With themes of trauma, abuse, and the pressure to succeed, the novel explores how silence can protect secrets but also perpetuate harm. Naughton’s layered characters and fragmented narrative create a gripping, fast-paced read that keeps you guessing. It’s a perfect read to ease young adults into the world of thrillers !
#bookreview #YAfiction #scholasticbooks #readandreview #books #readmorebooks #excitingreads #bookstagram
June 10, 2024
Zaina enters her final A-level exam focussed only on beating the other sixth formers to the school maths prize. When Chanelle doesn’t turn up to the exam, Zaina gleefully concludes that one of her competitors is out of the race.
But Nero has also noticed Chanelle’s absence and tries to get Zaina’s attention to enlist her help in a search of the school. Although she ignores him as best she can, his antics trigger memories of a party the whole group attended a month earlier. Flashbacks to the party weave around chapters in the exam.
As the exam progresses, we see the odd behaviour of the other candidates and a sense of unease mounts. It dawns on Zaina – and the reader – that something is seriously wrong.
The author completely captured the atmosphere and process of the A-level exam and the emotional carnage of the teenage house party.
This authentic YA thriller is a welcome addition to the genre shelf occupied by Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson.
With thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
But Nero has also noticed Chanelle’s absence and tries to get Zaina’s attention to enlist her help in a search of the school. Although she ignores him as best she can, his antics trigger memories of a party the whole group attended a month earlier. Flashbacks to the party weave around chapters in the exam.
As the exam progresses, we see the odd behaviour of the other candidates and a sense of unease mounts. It dawns on Zaina – and the reader – that something is seriously wrong.
The author completely captured the atmosphere and process of the A-level exam and the emotional carnage of the teenage house party.
This authentic YA thriller is a welcome addition to the genre shelf occupied by Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson.
With thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
April 21, 2024
So I went into this book with really high expectations, it sounded amazing and I was super excited to read it, but unfortunately it just fell short of how it was described.
I can’t say that anything really happened for the first 250 pages and for a book that’s only just over 300 pages, that’s not great.
I was expecting a big murder mystery but this element was only really introduced at the end and there wasn’t much mystery, it was over and done with in 50 or so pages.
I also didn’t care for any of the characters which made it a lot harder to find myself invested in the story.
The only aspect I liked was the accurate depiction of the stresses and pressure that comes with school exams. I think that this was executed and represented well in a few characters.
Thank you Scholastic for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I can’t say that anything really happened for the first 250 pages and for a book that’s only just over 300 pages, that’s not great.
I was expecting a big murder mystery but this element was only really introduced at the end and there wasn’t much mystery, it was over and done with in 50 or so pages.
I also didn’t care for any of the characters which made it a lot harder to find myself invested in the story.
The only aspect I liked was the accurate depiction of the stresses and pressure that comes with school exams. I think that this was executed and represented well in a few characters.
Thank you Scholastic for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 10, 2024
An amazing read!
Im a big mythery/thriller reader and this book had it all, From the unique plot to the authors amazing descriptions which had tension building between my shoulder blades with each chapter I could not put this book down for even a second. Coming in at around three hundred odd pages I ate this book up within one sitting, with each twist and turn you will find yourself falling deeper and deeper into the mcs life.
As someone who went to school in the UK, I related a lot to the characters as well as easily connecting to this period in their school lives, Sarah perfectly enraptured A levels and sixth form. I really enjoyed the mystery and how it is told with the different formats that the author used to portray the information. If you like YA mystery thrillers then this is for you.
Im a big mythery/thriller reader and this book had it all, From the unique plot to the authors amazing descriptions which had tension building between my shoulder blades with each chapter I could not put this book down for even a second. Coming in at around three hundred odd pages I ate this book up within one sitting, with each twist and turn you will find yourself falling deeper and deeper into the mcs life.
As someone who went to school in the UK, I related a lot to the characters as well as easily connecting to this period in their school lives, Sarah perfectly enraptured A levels and sixth form. I really enjoyed the mystery and how it is told with the different formats that the author used to portray the information. If you like YA mystery thrillers then this is for you.
May 13, 2024
A fast YA read that I completed in one sitting. It was character drama v mystery wherein the mystery mostly comes together in the last few pages.
Set over the course of one A level exam and interspersed with flashback and flash forward, the story comes together well. It is particularly clever at getting across the sheer stress of exam periods for the students and also has an underlying narrative of grief and identity.
It is well written and well rounded, fun to read and entertaining. Overall great.
My son being currently in his A levels this resonated with me on a personal level although he has not had to deal with murderous intent during his exams. Not yet anyway....
If you want a fast, dramatic read then this is for you.
Set over the course of one A level exam and interspersed with flashback and flash forward, the story comes together well. It is particularly clever at getting across the sheer stress of exam periods for the students and also has an underlying narrative of grief and identity.
It is well written and well rounded, fun to read and entertaining. Overall great.
My son being currently in his A levels this resonated with me on a personal level although he has not had to deal with murderous intent during his exams. Not yet anyway....
If you want a fast, dramatic read then this is for you.
April 20, 2025
Content warnings: death of a parent (in the past), grief, sexual assault, bullying, alcohol, blood, self harm
2.5 stars
I wanted to love this because the concept - set over the course of an A-level maths exam - is so cool. But I never entirely bought the idea of these kids (and particularly the main character) compromising their futures because a kid in their class didn't show up for the exam. Like...there was nothing about this girl not showing up that made me believe that they couldn't wait the length of the exam to go and look for her.
Add in some weirdly dark plot points that weren't dealt with particularly well in my opinion and this just.......meh. It had promise, but it didn't quite get there.
2.5 stars
I wanted to love this because the concept - set over the course of an A-level maths exam - is so cool. But I never entirely bought the idea of these kids (and particularly the main character) compromising their futures because a kid in their class didn't show up for the exam. Like...there was nothing about this girl not showing up that made me believe that they couldn't wait the length of the exam to go and look for her.
Add in some weirdly dark plot points that weren't dealt with particularly well in my opinion and this just.......meh. It had promise, but it didn't quite get there.
June 30, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
So my mom picked this book out for me because she said that it seemed fun. I didn't go in with high expectations because I had never seen anything about this book but I loved it.... but not the thriller/mystery part. What I did like was the academic part of this story. It also talked so beautifully about grief and lose. I did feel like Zeena being so upset at finding her best-friends sleeping together drink was a lil bit over done. Like girl you just rejected him!? Or was that someone else. I do like the teacher x student talk in here because they made it very clear that that was not okay. So overall fast paced but nothing super special
So my mom picked this book out for me because she said that it seemed fun. I didn't go in with high expectations because I had never seen anything about this book but I loved it.... but not the thriller/mystery part. What I did like was the academic part of this story. It also talked so beautifully about grief and lose. I did feel like Zeena being so upset at finding her best-friends sleeping together drink was a lil bit over done. Like girl you just rejected him!? Or was that someone else. I do like the teacher x student talk in here because they made it very clear that that was not okay. So overall fast paced but nothing super special
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2024
It wasn't bad, but it could've been better
The idea is really good an exam based thriller. I've never seen anything like this and it seemed very interesting. But during this whole thing the suspense wasn't really high. Like the new informations weren't like mind shaking. The suspense was really missing.
I liked the Interviews, that the police held with the witnesses. It was really fun to read.
The end wasn't really it. It was kind off boring.I think it would've been better, if the culprit was a student and not the teacher. Yeah all this for that?
The idea is really good an exam based thriller. I've never seen anything like this and it seemed very interesting. But during this whole thing the suspense wasn't really high. Like the new informations weren't like mind shaking. The suspense was really missing.
I liked the Interviews, that the police held with the witnesses. It was really fun to read.
The end wasn't really it. It was kind off boring.I think it would've been better, if the culprit was a student and not the teacher. Yeah all this for that?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2024
This is a tricky one. It's not that the quality of the writing was bad - in fact some of the depictions of grief and anxiety in this book were some of the best I've ever read! But I came to it wanting a murder mystery/ thriller, and what I got was... That as a c-plot? Nothing really happens in terms of the plot for the first 200 pages, and even when it gets going, I didn't like any of the characters enough to care that they were under threat.
May 3, 2024
This was such an easy read. I wanted to pick it up and see what happens next.
I loved the split time line and the chapters that are police interviews. I always love mixed media.
Zaina is trying so hard to make her Dad proud. She forgets what life is really about. Until the last day of exams and something shocking happens!
I honestly could not put this down and a relatively short book at just over 300 pages. Definitely give this one a go if you like fast paced thrillers.
I loved the split time line and the chapters that are police interviews. I always love mixed media.
Zaina is trying so hard to make her Dad proud. She forgets what life is really about. Until the last day of exams and something shocking happens!
I honestly could not put this down and a relatively short book at just over 300 pages. Definitely give this one a go if you like fast paced thrillers.
May 8, 2024
This book took me back to my own days of sitting A Level exams. Like Zaina, I was nervous and felt under pressure. But fortunately, my exams were a lot less deadly!
Your Time Is Up was a short, fast paced read. There was a lot of focus on the story. I didn't feel like we got the chance to get to know the characters. The tension built as events unravelled in real time throughout the exam. It was a quick read for me, I raced through wanting to uncover the secrets.
I thought it was a well written book that realistically depicted the pressure teenagers feel at home and school, which YA readers will be able to relate to.
Your Time Is Up was a short, fast paced read. There was a lot of focus on the story. I didn't feel like we got the chance to get to know the characters. The tension built as events unravelled in real time throughout the exam. It was a quick read for me, I raced through wanting to uncover the secrets.
I thought it was a well written book that realistically depicted the pressure teenagers feel at home and school, which YA readers will be able to relate to.
December 14, 2024
An interesting idea, but I didn’t think it was pulled off particularly well - that’s not a comment on the writing style, but more that there had to be some real coincidences and bending of the rules to get the plot to work and that went too far for me.
Also, Zaina was so hard to like as the main character. I can understand that there were aspects of her character that have been shaped by her trauma, but she was so poorly behaved that it grated on me.
Also, Zaina was so hard to like as the main character. I can understand that there were aspects of her character that have been shaped by her trauma, but she was so poorly behaved that it grated on me.
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