Uncaged

by Joe Gazzam

Jason Holden has been on thin ice since his mother died. Capping off a burglary and bar fight with a brutal car wreck, the seventeen year old finds himself firmly on the wrong side of the law.

His behavior isn’t winning him any points with his father, who happens to be the state governor. So when Governor Holden learns of a program for troubled youth, he jumps at the chance to deal with Jason’s outbursts while cementing his position for being tough on crime.

The program is a radical exercise designed to frighten teens from a life of crime. It’s called “Scared Straight,” and takes them into the heart of Blackenbush Maximum Security Penitentiary.

Jason, along with a group of hardened juvenile delinquents, quickly comes face to face with some of the most extreme convicts the state has ever seen. But what’s designed as an exercise becomes all too real as a prisoner take-over comes to fruition. Before long the entire penitentiary is under siege, surrounded by feds and overrun with violent lifers loose from their cells.

Jason, trapped in the middle of in the chaos, will have to trust in the most unlikely person— Karl Rix, a convict with his own body count. Between them, they just might find a way to save their skin and even a bit of redemption. But at what cost?

Genres: Thriller, Young Adult, Fiction

266 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2013

About the author

Screenwriter/Novelist Joe Gazzam has been a working screenwriter for 8 years working on such films as:

Shadow Run
Cliffhanger
21 Jump Street
Barbarella
Step Up: Revolution
Disney's Hawaiian Adventure
It Takes a Thief
Anubis Tapestry
(and many more)

His debut novel, UNCAGED, out now!

Reviews

[Mihir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review over at Fantasy Book critic

ANALYSIS: While I love fantasy and all of its iterations, I also love the mystery-thriller genres. So I’m always on the lookout for good ones. Uncaged by Joe Gazzam was a book who had what I like to refer to as a “crackerjack blurb”. After reading the excerpt, I immediately contacted the author who gladly set me up with a review copy and so I finished it in one setting.

The story begins Jason Holden who is a troubled teen due to the recent death of his mother begins to act out with terrifying results. The most recent example being an accident, which marks the end of his line of his father’s patience. His father Daniel Holden is also the state governor of Florida and is clearly under fire for his son’s actions, which spur him onto a radical path for his son’s benefit. Sasha Shim is a psychologist with social services who is roped in to making a documentary about the scared straight program that Jason is forced to take part in. Lastly there’s Rix, an incarcerated prisoner in the Blackenbush Penitentiary who is facing a rather hard time with parole. These are the main POV characters in this this exciting story.

Thus begins the exciting thrill ride that is Uncaged as the readers will be introduced to these characters that have been trapped in unfortunate situations due to their own and others’ actions. What I loved about this story was how the author paced the story beginning from the introduction of the main POV characters, and then just basically lets the story fly off the handle from there. The readers are given their share of heroic, misunderstood and savage characters and most of them are very, very interesting. The plot twists come in throes and while some are predictable, many are simply unexpected and add to the awesomeness of this debut.

Here’s what I loved about the POV characters, one of the main protagonist Jason Holden while being a troubled teenager, doesn't seem to be annoying. This was a plus point from the author as it’s very difficult to portray troubled teenagers and make them sympathetic at the same time. The author excels at this and so that helps in getting the reader embroiled in Jason’s troubles. Also another intriguing character was Rix as well as the main antagonist, who are shown to be men who have a canny intelligence as well as similar inner strength but interact with others in different ways. For me besides the pace of the story, the characterization was another solid plus point for this debut.

Lastly because a writer with strong roots in screenplays wrote this book, it almost reads like one and it's very easy to imagine it as a movie (this would make an awesome movie with the right director and hopefully little changes to the story). This debut takes all the awesome ingredients of the film “Under Seige” and combines them with the heart-warming aspects of “Nathan’s Run” another fantastic debut thereby giving thriller readers a sensational read.

I didn’t think there were any drawbacks to this story, of course with most thrillers, there has to be some suspension of disbelief and it’s again to the author’s credit that this is held to a bare minimum in this story (in regards to antagonist's plans). So if you can overlook some mild improbabilities then this thriller works wonderfully and will keep the reader riveted till its twisted climax. This book simply is a must buy and must read for all lovers of crackerjack thrillers.

CONCLUSION: One of the best thriller debuts that I've read in the recent years, Uncaged by Joe Gazzam reads like a fast paced thriller movie that is perfectly transcribed for readers. With a wide variety of characters (mostly menacing), this thriller debut is a must read for fans of Jeffrey Deaver, Blake Crouch and Matthew Reilly for its sheer pace, twisted plot and a terrific climax.

[Danny Tyran · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, the MCs

Jason Holden: The protagonist. He is a teenager about to begin at college. By his own admission, since his mother's death, he never cried. He only felt anger towards all, especially towards himself. He said he did not like himself very much. Also, he began to misbehave, to the growing displeasure of his father. But apart from that, there is a classic teenager: a little hedonistic, a little selfish and sometimes stupidly brave.

Thought by Jason at his arrival at the penitentiary: "Again, he thought, it was all so dehumanizing. They stripped you of anything that might remind you of the outside world, then processed you like cattle, herded you together, branded you, and threw you in a pen. Some they even slaughtered."

Daniel Holden: Jason's father and state of Florida governor. He also suffered the death of his wife. But this death, far to get him closer to his son, drove them away. Since this death, he devoted much more time to politics than to his son. He promotes a better control of criminality. So his son's misbehavior put it him under fire of Florida's population. This is what spurs him to enroll his son in the Scared Straight Program that will take place à the Blackenbush Penitentiary. But he tries to convince himself that is for his son's good.

Shim Sasha: She is a psychologist who works for social services. She supports the Scared Straight Program and wants to film the arrival at the high security prison of a group of young offenders, she has all chosen, which Jason will be part of. She hopes to capture media attention and get funding for her program.

Rix: He is a prisoner in Blackenbush Penitentiary and was unable to secure his release during his last parole. We learn about the middle of the novel that he killed someone but we don't know who nor under what circumstances. He is the inmate who will save many times Jason's life and those of many other persons. He will help Jason to get free.

When Jason questions Rix to know if he is rehabilitated, Rix answers, "Prison isn’t about rehabilitation. You think they really wanted to teach me forgiveness, tolerance? How can I learn things I haven’t experience in 11 years? The institutional evil of this place has sunk into my bones."

Manning: The Vilain of the vilains. Prisoner at Blackenbush Penitentiary. This is the one who organizes the riot and the prison break. He is the cause of all the problems faced by Jason, the other young guys of the Scared Straight Program, the filming crew led by Sasha and even all the other prisoners and the police of the region.

Manning winked at his son and said, "Always remember— the strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong."

"His mind immediately raced to create his grand escape. And the plan came together quickly. It was the great American novel that wrote itself. He remembered it unfolding in his mind, chapter by chapter."

The Program

Scared Straight Program: It's a juvenile rehabilitation program consisting in three-hour session with actual convicts. A group of inmates are supposed to scream at, and terrify the young offenders in an attempt to "scare them straight" (hence the program's name), so that those young offenders will avoid prison in the future. Real Scared Straight programs are used throughout the United States as a means of deterring juvenile crime.

--------------

Review

Jason is a realistic, everyday teen. Jason's emotional maturity was appropriate for his age. So often the young protagonists are too adult: too smart, too emotionally mature, and too altruistic. But Jason is a normal teen.

Jason's father is typical politician, obsessed by the mass media's and voters' reactions. But his wife's death left him psychologically wounded and his difficulties to stay connected with his teenage son is not unusual. Even if sending his son in the SSP was a bad decision, he loves Jason.

Sasha is full of good intentions. She believes in the SSP and wants to show everybody its "good impact" on young offenders' minds. And if she gets at the same time a grant for her righteous deeds, why not? But, as the governor, she knows nothing about real criminals and prison life. And as soon as she set foot at the penitentiary, everything scares her out of her wits. And when you think that, at the request of the governor, she is the one who is supposed to take care of Jason there!
I believe that it's often the case: the ones who promote that kind of programs have never set foot in jail. No one try to really understand what you can feel while behind the bars among prisoners often more strong and cruel than you and who group into gangs. How can you actually rehabilitate yourself in such a context? As Rix said: "You think they really wanted to teach me forgiveness, tolerance?"

I like that Gazzam doesn't show criminals as all stupid or heartless. Manning's plan is clever (the technical jargon seems well thought-out and logical). As the prison situation unfolds, we're amazed at the brazenness of the mastermind, and he delivers a cold-blooded performance that will certainly not disappoint.

Rix is also a real guy with his qualities and defects. But he is far from being heartless. That a criminal is the one who helps a teenager to see how selfish he was lately (particularly with his father) and to better understand his father says a lot about Gazzam's open-mindedness. This author is certainly not full of prejudices about the "bad guys", and doesn't believe that there are the good guys in white to the right side and the bad ones in black to the left.

Contrarily to what one reviewer said, I know that this author is not deceiving anyone. I've seen several TV reports and read in very serious magazines on combating criminal activities, and I know that there are many at-risk youth programs that are questionable in nature. There are also a lot of real-life stories of people who committed lesser crimes being molded into hardened criminals by the system. Everybody knows that prisons are only crime schools. Far from helping people to become better citizens, imprisonment improves their criminal knowledge and efficiency, and increases their lack of humanity and civic-mindedness. Imprisonment itself is already inhumane enough, particularly in our overcrowded prisons. In a context of growing economic depression that leads governments to reduce public expenditures, why to care about criminals? And when you recourse to such methods, aren't you asserting your own powerlessness in front of criminality prevention?

UNICEF wrote: "To exercise power without humanity is to engender violence of a kind that cannot be fought against with weapons."

I like that the book gets you thinking about those things without lingering too much on the political and social aspects of the question.

And anyway, about deceiving the readers, isn't it the purpose of any novel? A novel IS a great lie. Good authors are the best liars. They succeed to make us believe their lies.

This story was gripping. I read it faster than any other books I read recently.



You can definitely see why Gazzam is a screenwriter. This book could easily be translated into a blockbuster action movie or a short TV series as it's full of explosions and gun fights, suspense, and action. There are no holes in the plot and all the characters play well-fitted roles. Even the ending is moving.

Good point, the author ensured to provide all the necessary elements that could influence the action long before it happens (e.g. we discover at the very beginning of the story that Jason learned rappelling and diving when he was a little boy, but he uses these skills only at the end of the novel).

There were a few typos, but I had to look up in dictionaries a few words too. The author used them in an educated fashion; and not in a 'filler' fashion. I will certainly be looking for more works from this author. Thus I give this novel 5 big and well deserved stars.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncaged by Joe Gazzam.
Jason Holden has been on thin ice since his mother died. Capping off a burglary and bar fight with a brutal car wreck, the seventeen year old finds himself firmly on the wrong side of the law.
A fantastic read with brilliant characters. Didn't expect that to happen. Edge of my seat through the whole book. Highly recommended. 5*. Thanks tbc on fb.

[Mary Alampi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you work in publishing, friends of friends ask for help getting published. When you teach middle school and specialize in Children's or YA Lit after years in the publishing field, people want you to read their book ideas, edit, and help them get it published. So when I learned that a middle school classmate of mine had a fiction novel complete and ready to release, I was cautiously supportive. I bought the book as soon as possible but faced reading it with a great deal of trepidation. What if it was lame, or worse yet, bad? What would I say if he asked? Well, I needn't have worried. Joe Gazzam's debut novel Uncaged is a book you need in your middle school collection.
Uncaged, is the story of Jason, the mayor's son, who grows up more in one day than he has in years. Neither Jason nor his father have recovered from the tragic, untimely death of Jason's mother. Jason copes by pulling away from his father, acting out, and breaking the law; his father copes by throwing himself into his work. Jason's rash behavior leads his desperate father to enroll him in the Scared Straight program, and then everything starts to change. No sooner had Jason been processed and locked inside the walls of Blackenbush Penitentiary than a cunning mass murderer put a grand escape plot into motion, trapping the Scared Straight students, a documentary crew, and prison staff. As the local police, FBI, governor, and news crews wait helplessly outside, Jason has to face his fears and stop hiding.
The writing is refreshingly good. A nice balance of dialogue, action scenes, character development, a swiftly moving plot, and likable characters make this novel hard to put down. I found the telling of the story so vividly portrayed, it was like I was watching it on screen, yet I never once felt bogged down by unneeded depth of detail. Gazzam's screen writing experience really shines through. He delivers all of the action and suspense without fluff or the crutch of gratuitous foul language. My personal copy already has a wait list at school. I will need to buy more.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best books that I have read. I can relate to the main character Jason. That was me as a young person that lost his way. There are a lot of emotion in the story, and it moves along at a fast pace. I have watched the Scared Straight show and the original documentary when it came out. The story puts you right in the middle of it all. You see Jason mature throughout the whole ordeal, which makes him a very likable person. This book should be on the top of everyones reading list. There was a part in the book that made my spine shiver, because I had the same life event. When I read it in the book, it turned on a bright light for me. I don't want to give it away, I will leave it up to the person that reads this review to figure it out. That one part will always be a part of me now. If you read one book, this has got to be the one. You will not be disappointed

[I'd So Rather Be Reading {Nat} · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read many YA thrillers, but the ones I have read (like The Girl in the Wall and The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die), I've really enjoyed. Uncaged was no exception. I loved this exciting and sometimes downright scary novel! And I'm not just talking about the cover, although the cover does freak me out a little. This was one of those times I was happy to be reading an e-book and not see the cover each time I picked up the book. It's appropriate to the story but the eye just scares me!

I had a vague idea of what the Scared Straight program was, but never considered the specifics of it. I loved that Scared Straight---along with a really surprising and well-planned prison break---was the premise of this book. It made Uncaged unique and fun to read.

Jason is the governor's son and he's been getting into trouble since his mom died. He's acting out, doing dumb things. The governor enrolls Jason in the Scared Straight program: Jason, along with other teens, will go into a prison and be a prisoner for a few hours. The idea is that actually being booked into prison, and being locked up, if only for a few hours, will be a wake-up call for the young men to change their ways.

I liked that Jason is a realistic, everyday teen. He's not heroic or selfless; instead, he's selfish and a little hedonistic. Jason's emotional maturity was appropriate for his age. So often in YA literature, the protagonists are too adult: too smart, too emotionally mature, too altrustic. I liked that Gazzam wrote Jason as a normal teen.

Uncaged had a really exciting plot which was full of surprises. There was a lot of depth to the plot, which I loved. I never quite knew what would happen next. Gazzam's pacing was perfect: Uncaged was intense and the "I'm only reading one more page" feeling stayed with me for the entirety of the book. Uncaged reminded me of some of my favorite television shows, like Prison Break and 24. It had that same feeling of heightened emotions, great pacing and an intricate plot.

The conflict resolution was perfect for the story. I loved the epilogue and how the characters' lives were changed. Despite the majority of this book taking place in one day's time, I felt like there was a lot of character growth, which made me happy.

If you're a fan of YA thrillers, I highly recommend Uncaged. I'm looking forward to reading more from Joe Gazzam!

[Asimah Akhtar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting thriller full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed the plot of this book, as I felt it was something different. Although, many characters are introduced thoughout the story they all come together well. The plot is gripping and the story well told. Definitely recommend!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry but I could not get into it but I tried and persisted but could only reach 50%

[Energy Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason is the governor's son, and he's been getting into a lot of trouble since his mother's death. This doesn't look good on the governor, so this solution is to enroll him into the Scared Straight program at the Blackenbush Maximum Security Penitentiary. These are hardened criminals, and that is no joke. I've read of prisons before, it's an enjoyable topic for me, and the criminals are never as hard as they're supposed to be. That is not the case in Uncaged, because each guy is worse than the next. They are housed in conditions that are meant to keep them down, to keep them at each other's throats, and animosity amongst prisoners runs high.

While most of the other boys think this Scared Straight program is a joke, it quickly turns south when Manning, a man ranked amongst the worst at the prison, turns out to be running the uprising, and he is not playing around. I would even say Uncaged is Game of Thrones-esque in that you shouldn't get too attached to the characters, because they might not be around for long. Again, Manning is running the show and he's gathered the best of the best to help him lead this riot and escape. He's also opening cages, letting the bottom of the barrel worst out of their cells.

The governor has called in a favor, and there are trained men from a branch of CIA heading in to rescue his son, the boys in the program, and the woman and camera crew trying to film and garner more attention for the Scared Straight program. Well, they're definitely going to get attention.

I really loved the prison, it was built incredibly unique, and while I might not have liked the way the warden kept the prisoners at each other's throats, it made them even worse than they already were, and we needed bad guys in this story. Once the riot started, Uncaged was non-stop action. There was always something going on and there were many heated moments. I really enjoyed the plot, the writing, and even the characters that you were supposed to hate because they were written really well. This was a really fun read for me, I enjoyed the not knowing. A really great read!

[Bruce Ashkenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncaged by Joe Gazzam
Jason Holden is a young man who’s lost his way. Inconsolable after his mother dies, the 17-year-old still cannot cry. He gets little consolation from his father, the state governor, who is in deep grief himself but does not have the resources to both do his job and show sorrow. Jason acts out in petty criminal ways while his father throws himself into his job. They are truly a dysfunctional family.
The Governor has a plan for his son. He’ll join a scared straight program for teenage delinquents at Blackenbush Maximum Security Penitentiary, the roughest prison in the state. Jason boards the prison bus, apprehensive about the experience before him.
At the prison the members of the Scared Straight class are ushered into a room set up like a classroom. They are joined by the prison warden, guards, a woman psychologist responsible for picking the delinquents, and finally the prisoners, a group of hard-eyed men not much older than the teenagers. One of the prisoners is a serial-killer sociopath named Manning who has a plant in the delinquent class, his 17-year-old son Quentin. He has planned a revolt of the inmates, aided by his son. Using hidden weapons, the worst of the worst defeat the guards, take the warden captive and throw the scared teens in a cell. During the confusion Jason and Sasha, the psychologist, manage to escape to the main body of the prison, where they are confronted by prisoners released from their cells by the rebels. In the prison library, where they hide, the two meet Karl Rix, a thoughtful car thief who has killed inmates who attacked him, thus lengthening his sentence. He agrees to help Jason and Sasha escape the prison.
I could write much more in this review. The conflicts of the police outside the building are as harrowing as the action inside. Even the architecture and location of the prison play a big role. The author has been a screenwriter for a number of years and knows how to do drama. This is Joe Gazzam’s first novel. I only wish he’d attacked the format sooner.

[Nayan Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book and review by a trusted friend is what led me to purchase this book. Jason Holden, son of the state governor is the chief protagonist in the book and following the death of his mother, his life has taken a turn for the worse. Hoping to reform his son, Jason's father commits him to a special program tailor made for juvenile delinquents. Little does he know that a carefully planned mass prison breakout would coincide with the same program. In the middle of all the chaos, Jason isn't left with many options for his own escape plan and he ends up relying on another convict Karl Rix.

The biggest strength of this book is the pacing which never slackens even for a bit and the actual setting. I think that the author did a brilliant job in ensuring a situation which would keep the reader at the edge of his seat. This one was a relatively fast read for me, however, I would still categorize this in the opportunity lost category. This is not to say that the book is by any means bad but I strongly felt that the author could have done much more than what he actually ended up doing. I would be giving away too many spoilers explaining this point though. However, this is just my point of view and you may not necessarily feel the same.

Overall, its still a very Hollywood-ish, edge of the seat thriller which would keep one entertained till the last page. Give it a try if you really like the blurb.

[Ramcy Diek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut thriller from Joe Gazzam gripped me from the first page. All the characters were believable, the plot fast moving, and the concept very interesting.
One of the main characters got shot and this surprised/shocked me, adding actually more value to the story. There were other twists and turns that took be by surprise too.
It could be a considered a coming of age drama, a teenage boy getting forced to face his own selfish actions after loosing his mother.
Of course, just like in the movies, the main characters are able to dodge bullets while getting shot at repeatedly, one of them surviving fights, a brutal fall, and still able to stay on his feet. This made it a bit unbelievable, but hey, you can't let your heroes die, I get that.
Knowledge from the author about explosives, geology, and the inside of high security prisons impressed me.
Very well done, Joe Gazzam. This book could easily be turned into a blockbuster.

[gene spainhour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

If only every bad kid went to a scared straight program maybe there would be less crime good book worth reading

[Bob Wire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man I loved this book. Friend of mine suggested it. Could not - put - it -down.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 1 out of 5]

[Barbara ♥~Lindt Ninja~♥ (Careerist Gangster™) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gazzam has failed to nail the MC's male voice - Jason feels very traditionally feminine. I wasn't able to read more than 20%. DNF

[♥♡¢σσкιє♥♡ (Krystle)]

I will not be reading this book because of some very disturbing things that I have learned! Nope! Not this chick!

[Tellulah Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first word, what was really obvious to me, in a good way, were Gazzam's screenwriting roots. The story is visual in an incredibly visceral, "grab you by the throat" way.

And tense. Can I say how tense it is? I found myself having to take breaks from the story, just to take a breath as the pressure and the stakes mounted.

While the synopsis focuses on Jason, a teen protagonist, I'm not sure if I'd categorize it as YA myself, since the adult prisoners take up more of the story and direct more of the action than I felt Jason did. It was a slight adjustment in my expectation that I had to make.

Ultimately, if you enjoy action adventure movies with high stakes and tons of thrills, then you'll definitely enjoy this.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Gazzam's debut novel is a fast paced, action packed thriller that doesn't pull any punches. A real page turner from start to finish.

The characters, although adding nothing new to the genre, were enjoyable, and the eventual bonding between Jason and a certain character (don't want to give anything away) was nicely done. The action pieces were well thought out and although they were a little over the top at times, they did have me nervously perching on the edge of my seat.

However, there were a number of missed words and spelling errors which I did find a little annoying, which is a shame, because so much thought has gone into the story. Although little things like that can let a book down, I did still found this a hugely entertaining read.

Would definitely recommend :-)

[Patricia Ibarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason is the governor's son and after his mother died, he has been involved in trouble, burglary, fights, etc., to the embarrassment of his father. Interested in giving him a stern punishment that straightens his life, he enrolls him in a pilot program in a penitentiary. where he will live first-hand what prison life is like, together with other four or five youngsters. A reporter will be there to film their experience. As was to be expected, things go wrong and soon the prisoners take over the penitentiary. Lots of trouble and anguish ensue. At least this new experience provides Jason with a new perspective of life and of his relationship with his father. Even though it is predictable at times, it is an exciting read.

[K.M. Tremills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncaged lured me in with great writing then effortlessly grabbed me with the plot. This thriller stands out at the front of the pack. I was amazed how quickly I cared about the characters, then wham - was hit with a powerful plot twist.

Gazzam is the best kind of writer. One who gives time to his characters, weaves an amazing story, all while moving the pace along. I highly recommend this book to entertain and move you.

[Lisa Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book from the author, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own**

I loved this suspenseful thriller. It read like a movie and I could see every detail in my mind as it played it. I was a little nervous about the introduction of multiple characters but the author was able to keep the story lines straight and uncomplicated, which I truly enjoyed. Can't wait to read from Joe Gazzam!

[Megan Walke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew basically nothing about this book before I read it. I got it for free on my kindle so didn't have very high expectations. but it was definitely worth the read. even by the end of the second page I was sucked in. it was a unique story line that was intense and thrilling without being overly violent or disturbing. I highly recommend it for a fun and page-tithing read.

[Gabe Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently done... Well thought out and developed. Its fast paced, touching, menacing, raw, violent, and griping.

Characters are smartly developed and multi-layered.

This could easily be a movie.

Well done... A very worthwhile read

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A YA book for all. Had me turning the pages pretty quick to see what would happen next. I was taken in by the characters and the possible reality of the situation at hand. Unique plot...not the same old same old. Congrats to Mr. Gazzam on his first novel!

[Kristy Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced gritty thriller. As the action unfolded in this cat and mouse chase, I found myself rooting for Jas and Rix. This could be easily transformed for the big screen. The writing is eloquent, with so many twists and turns to keep you wanting more.

[Luigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story and action packed. Definitely a page-turner albeit somewhat far-fetched at times. However, in dire need of an editor as there were lots of grammatical and spelling errors. Again, though, very fast read.

[Danielle Tremblay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phew! What a ride! Very interesting thriller with a note of psychology. Other reviewers described it very well, I won't do it again. But I risk to be clichéd and I tell that it's a page-turner. And yes, it would make a great movie.

[Donna Jago · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read the back cover of this book I thought I could probably tell you the plot without reading it and to a point I could but however don't let this put you off as the story was fast paced, the characters where very well written and it was action packed. A overall very enjoyable read.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by a friend. Loved it. Great YA book even though I am quite over that age group. Well written with great characters.