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End Game
A real-life thriller about memory loss, arms dealing, and fathers and sons from million copy selling, prize-winning author, Alan Gibbons.
'He was here again last night, the man with the dead eyes. He was in my room and in my head.'
There are not many things Nick Mallory knows for sure.
He knows there was a car crash. He knows he is in hospital. And he knows he feels furious with his father. What he doesn't know is why.
As his memories start to return, Nick finds himself caught in a net of secrets and lies - where truth and perception collide and heroes and villains are not easy to tell apart.
'He was here again last night, the man with the dead eyes. He was in my room and in my head.'
There are not many things Nick Mallory knows for sure.
He knows there was a car crash. He knows he is in hospital. And he knows he feels furious with his father. What he doesn't know is why.
As his memories start to return, Nick finds himself caught in a net of secrets and lies - where truth and perception collide and heroes and villains are not easy to tell apart.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2015
4 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Alan Gibbons
164 books58 followersAlan Gibbons is an author of children's books and a Blue Peter Book Award. He currently lives in Liverpool, England, where he used to teach in a primary school. His father was a farm laborer, but was hurt in an accident when Alan was eight years old. The family had to move to Crewe, Cheshire where Alan experienced bullying for the first time. He began to write for his pupils as a teacher, but never tried to get any of his work published.
Gibbons trained to be a teacher in his mid-thirties and starting writing short stories for his students. Later, he began to write professionally. In 2000, he won the Blue Peter Book Award in the category "The Book I Couldn't Put Down" category for Shadow of the Minotaur. He was a judge for the 2001 Blue Peter Book Awards. He was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2001 and 2003 and shortlisted twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize. He has also won the Leicester Book of the Year, the Stockport Book Award, the Angus Book Award, the Catalyst Award, the Birmingham Chills Award, the Salford Young Adult Book Award and the Salford Librarians' Special Award.
Gibbons trained to be a teacher in his mid-thirties and starting writing short stories for his students. Later, he began to write professionally. In 2000, he won the Blue Peter Book Award in the category "The Book I Couldn't Put Down" category for Shadow of the Minotaur. He was a judge for the 2001 Blue Peter Book Awards. He was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2001 and 2003 and shortlisted twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize. He has also won the Leicester Book of the Year, the Stockport Book Award, the Angus Book Award, the Catalyst Award, the Birmingham Chills Award, the Salford Young Adult Book Award and the Salford Librarians' Special Award.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 22 reviews
May 10, 2015
Actual rating 3.5 / 5.
This is a story that grabs you from the very first line. It’s a short read, but not always a comfortable one, as the writer invites us deep inside a young man’s head and experience his inner most thoughts.
That young man is Nick Mallory. He is just seventeen and is lying
motionless in hospital following a nasty car accident. In between bouts of consciousness he can see and hear most of what’s going on, but he’s unable to react to his family or the nurses caring for him in any way.
During his time in this waking coma, Nick’s thoughts and frustrations are relayed to us in the first person, quite brilliantly I might add. Even though he can’t be heard physically at this stage, as a reader we hear as he ‘voices’ his responses to the snatched conversations of visitors, while trying to piece together the broken pieces of his life.
Despite bedside vigils by his family and girlfriend, progress is slow. Nick’s memory of the events leading up to accident does eventually become clearer, but all the while he harbours an unexplained resentment for his ex-military-turned-politician father.
While Nick is struggling to understand why he’s so angry at his hero dad, there’s another puzzle to contend with, like the strange man with ‘dead eyes’ who appears at the foot of his hospital bed, and all Nick can do is watch him silently screaming.
It seems that surviving the crash would be the easy part, as there are some things you can’t recover from, like the truth. ‘Dead eyes’ knows everything – and now he wants justice.
This unusual story shows us how easily good intentions can turn sour and shatter innocent lives. It takes courage to listen to your conscience and try to put things right. But for some people, things can never be the same again.
End Game is a quick-paced story and my attention didn’t waiver. But there was one circumstance much later on in the book that I couldn’t quite bring myself to accept (when Nick was left alone, despite apparent ‘dangers’).
I won’t elaborate further as I don’t want to spoil the plot for anyone. But I will say that this is worth a look if only to experience Nick's inner dialogue, which is quite excellent.
(My thanks to the publisher for sending a paperback copy of this book for review.)
This is a story that grabs you from the very first line. It’s a short read, but not always a comfortable one, as the writer invites us deep inside a young man’s head and experience his inner most thoughts.
That young man is Nick Mallory. He is just seventeen and is lying
motionless in hospital following a nasty car accident. In between bouts of consciousness he can see and hear most of what’s going on, but he’s unable to react to his family or the nurses caring for him in any way.
During his time in this waking coma, Nick’s thoughts and frustrations are relayed to us in the first person, quite brilliantly I might add. Even though he can’t be heard physically at this stage, as a reader we hear as he ‘voices’ his responses to the snatched conversations of visitors, while trying to piece together the broken pieces of his life.
Despite bedside vigils by his family and girlfriend, progress is slow. Nick’s memory of the events leading up to accident does eventually become clearer, but all the while he harbours an unexplained resentment for his ex-military-turned-politician father.
While Nick is struggling to understand why he’s so angry at his hero dad, there’s another puzzle to contend with, like the strange man with ‘dead eyes’ who appears at the foot of his hospital bed, and all Nick can do is watch him silently screaming.
It seems that surviving the crash would be the easy part, as there are some things you can’t recover from, like the truth. ‘Dead eyes’ knows everything – and now he wants justice.
This unusual story shows us how easily good intentions can turn sour and shatter innocent lives. It takes courage to listen to your conscience and try to put things right. But for some people, things can never be the same again.
End Game is a quick-paced story and my attention didn’t waiver. But there was one circumstance much later on in the book that I couldn’t quite bring myself to accept (when Nick was left alone, despite apparent ‘dangers’).
I won’t elaborate further as I don’t want to spoil the plot for anyone. But I will say that this is worth a look if only to experience Nick's inner dialogue, which is quite excellent.
(My thanks to the publisher for sending a paperback copy of this book for review.)
September 16, 2015
Nick Mallory is in a coma - his eyes are open, he cannot move and he cannot feel his mother's hand on his. But he can hear most of what is said in his hospital room. He can't explain why he feels anger and confusion when his father visits, but slowly but surely he remembers the night of his accident and what made him jump in his father's BMW and race off.
His father is an ex-soldier and war hero, now a popular politician. But he's been dealing with the wrong people and it's all about to catch up with him.
As Nick's body slowly repairs itself, and sensation (and pain) returns, so does his memory, and the police are getting closer....
His father is an ex-soldier and war hero, now a popular politician. But he's been dealing with the wrong people and it's all about to catch up with him.
As Nick's body slowly repairs itself, and sensation (and pain) returns, so does his memory, and the police are getting closer....
September 5, 2015
The only reason I made it through this book was that I was stuck sitting in a hospital waiting room for 4 hours. I got totally over the world viewed by Nick, who has been paralysed by an an accident, my sympathy ran out pretty quickly. Disappointed.
April 26, 2016
I thought that the way this was told through the eyes of an unresponsive boy in hospital was ingenious. There was so much emotion portrayed through the words without trying to hard. I was hooked on every single one of Nicky's words and his internal conflicts.
May 20, 2015
A great but short novel, that was enlightening and interesting.
Won this book in the Goodreads First-read giveaway.
Won this book in the Goodreads First-read giveaway.
July 5, 2022
The writing style is simple and easy to understand but the book is a bit long because it bored me at some point.
The book keeps you guessing what happened with Nick and what has his father done and you'll guess alot of horrible things but it won't turned out that way.
His father has let him down I get it but the book was so stretched because Nick could've talked the whole thing out with his father way earlier in the book but he didn't.
I liked the last conversation between Nick and his father.
⚠️SPOILER⚠️
It could've been a very good book but there is a problem. I don't get it that how come the military is using a weapon without even having its trial, it doesn't matter who recommended it so it was unexplainable for me.
The book keeps you guessing what happened with Nick and what has his father done and you'll guess alot of horrible things but it won't turned out that way.
His father has let him down I get it but the book was so stretched because Nick could've talked the whole thing out with his father way earlier in the book but he didn't.
I liked the last conversation between Nick and his father.
⚠️SPOILER⚠️
It could've been a very good book but there is a problem. I don't get it that how come the military is using a weapon without even having its trial, it doesn't matter who recommended it so it was unexplainable for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2017
I thought this book was definitely a Thriller it all the aspects corruption and no one can trust anyone, the only thing I didn't like about it was that some parts was pretty predictable and could had more of a twist but overall it was really good
February 15, 2019
While not as gripping as I'd hoped, this novel started well and was intriguing, however I ended up getting bogged down in the sometimes confusing descriptions of a character's slow awakening after being in a coma.
May 20, 2017
A quick fast read.
January 4, 2023
absolutely hated this book.dnf.
November 4, 2023
Honestly finished a few days ago just had to sit on the rating. Quick read but also difficult at times and pretty predictable but also an alright time
Did not finish
December 13, 2018Read till chapter 5.
I was sucked in to the initial mystery, but when I began Chapter 5, it's another scene in hospital, this time his dad is left alone with him, which you'd think would be tense and interesting, but it looks like Dad is about to go into a monologue about himself and his life, and I closed the book - yawn.
I was sucked in to the initial mystery, but when I began Chapter 5, it's another scene in hospital, this time his dad is left alone with him, which you'd think would be tense and interesting, but it looks like Dad is about to go into a monologue about himself and his life, and I closed the book - yawn.
June 27, 2016
A compelling - although unfortunately not brilliantly written - story of revenge and corruption. End Game follows the recovery of a boy called Nick, who is hospitalised after a car crash and a family argument he’s struggling to remember. As Nick’s memories start to return he finds himself caught up in a net of secrets and lies, and must choose between protecting his family and confronting their mistakes.
The first few chapters are gorgeously written, setting End Game up to be a gripping page-turner of a mystery. Unfortunately, the intrigue of Gibbons’ story fades quickly as the reader is subjected to scene upon scene of painfully stilted dialogue and conveniently-timed flashbacks (as Nick remains hospitalised and unable to communicate for the majority of the novel, we find out about his life through long, convoluted monologues from the friends and family visiting him). The events that led to Nick’s accident are revealed piece by piece, but the truth is so clear from the start that the final reveal has little to no impact.
That’s not to say that End Game isn’t worth reading. Nick’s dilemma - whether to out his corrupt politician father to the press or not - is well-written, and his emotional journey as he loses faith and trust in the man who raised him is particularly moving. I also loved how English End Game was - so often in UKYA, the characters are Americanised in an obvious attempt to lure in an international audience - but Nick’s inner monologue and every character’s dialogue rang true for me.
I think the main reason why End Game appealed to me despite its flaws was that it’s an unfortunately timely subject for British readers today - with lying politicians and the depressing fallout from the EU referendum dominating the news headlines every day, I found it hard to empathise with Nick’s father the way I’m sure Gibbons intended me to, but I found the story gripping nonetheless.
Many thanks to Hachette Children’s Group for providing a copy of End Game. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Indigo
Rating: 2.5 stars | ★★★✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
The first few chapters are gorgeously written, setting End Game up to be a gripping page-turner of a mystery. Unfortunately, the intrigue of Gibbons’ story fades quickly as the reader is subjected to scene upon scene of painfully stilted dialogue and conveniently-timed flashbacks (as Nick remains hospitalised and unable to communicate for the majority of the novel, we find out about his life through long, convoluted monologues from the friends and family visiting him). The events that led to Nick’s accident are revealed piece by piece, but the truth is so clear from the start that the final reveal has little to no impact.
That’s not to say that End Game isn’t worth reading. Nick’s dilemma - whether to out his corrupt politician father to the press or not - is well-written, and his emotional journey as he loses faith and trust in the man who raised him is particularly moving. I also loved how English End Game was - so often in UKYA, the characters are Americanised in an obvious attempt to lure in an international audience - but Nick’s inner monologue and every character’s dialogue rang true for me.
I think the main reason why End Game appealed to me despite its flaws was that it’s an unfortunately timely subject for British readers today - with lying politicians and the depressing fallout from the EU referendum dominating the news headlines every day, I found it hard to empathise with Nick’s father the way I’m sure Gibbons intended me to, but I found the story gripping nonetheless.
Many thanks to Hachette Children’s Group for providing a copy of End Game. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Indigo
Rating: 2.5 stars | ★★★✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
December 29, 2015
After a dramatic but somehow slow start to the story (our protagonist is recovering after a serious car accident but slowly remembers the lead up to the crash) the story weaves itself a wonderful tangled ethical/political story that puts family values at it's heart.
Nick hears most of what goes on around him while many question if he'll ever recover. We learn more of the truth with every visit of each of Nick's family and friends and Alan Gibbons skilfully weaves the plot while missing out key info to keep the reader well and truly on the hook to see what will happen next.
A brave and bold take on the responsibility of politicians in modern warfare decisions and the impact of the them via the ripple effect, from the homestead to the battle front itself.
An excellent novel from a hugely talented author. Looking forward to the next offering!
Nick hears most of what goes on around him while many question if he'll ever recover. We learn more of the truth with every visit of each of Nick's family and friends and Alan Gibbons skilfully weaves the plot while missing out key info to keep the reader well and truly on the hook to see what will happen next.
A brave and bold take on the responsibility of politicians in modern warfare decisions and the impact of the them via the ripple effect, from the homestead to the battle front itself.
An excellent novel from a hugely talented author. Looking forward to the next offering!
April 19, 2015
Not my favourite Alan Gibbons book and not in the same league as Hate at all, but still very readable. End Game follows the recovery of a teenage boy, Nick, from a coma, caused by a car accident when he was illegally driving his father's BMW car. At first Nick's memories are very hazy but he knows he has lost his trust in his father, an eminent politician. We slowly discover what has happened as Nick's memory returns. The book deals with topical issues of warfare, undetected land mines, morality set within a family context. It is Gibbon's ability to make issues real, by showing how they impact on the lives of real people that make his writing so effective. Gibbons should, I think, be studied in schools.
January 1, 2018
I was very unsure about this book but I decided to read it anyway and I am so glad that I did. It's a real page turning mystery that kept me gripped. I liked the way that we found everything out with Nick which meant that there was a real sense of mystery and I really wanted to know the truth. However I felt like the ending was a bit rushed and a lot more could be done with it. But overall I liked this book.
September 12, 2015
Really enjoyed this. I loved the start of it, with Nick immobile in hospital after a car accident. As he lies there, his memory of the night he almost died comes back to him in fits and starts, challenging everything he knows about his life and his relationship with his father. Not quite as good as 'Hate' but it kept me going!
May 23, 2015
I found this incredibly boring and difficult to finish. I couldn't engage with the main character and the endless internal monologue, and the plot didn't really interest me either. The only reason I made it to the end was because it was thankfully short.
October 20, 2016
Great book!!!!!! My favorite parts were when he remembered a valuable fragment of time and pieces it together with another event. The best character was the father because in the end he was very brave. I recommend this book to mystery lovers.
Read
June 13, 2016Not as good as I thought the blurb at the back of the book revealed.
Read
April 8, 2017Quite a tense YA novel written from the point of view of a young teen who is unable to communicate after an accident and we slowly learn what led to the accident.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 22 reviews