The Secret Runners of New York

by Matthew Reilly

Gossip Girl meets Mad Max in this breakneck thriller where the divide between rich and poor is the line between life and death.

'The windows on all the skyscrapers are smashed . . .

No power, no lights, no people . . .

It's a parallel New York of some kind.'

THE COMING END



When Skye Rogers and her twin brother Red move to Manhattan, rumours of a coming global apocalypse are building. But this does not stop the young elite of New York from partying without a care.

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?



And then suddenly Skye is invited to join an exclusive gang known as the Secret Runners of New York. But this is no ordinary clique - they have access to an underground portal that can transport them into the future. And what Skye discovers in the future is horrifying . . .

RUN! AS FAST AS YOU CAN!

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Time Travel

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2019

About the author

Born in Sydney in 1974, Matthew Reilly was not always a big fan of reading. It was only after he read To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies in Year 10 that he realised reading could transport you to another world. Following this revelation, Matthew soon began creating stories of his own and set about writing his first novel, Contest, at the age of 19 while still at university studying law.

Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.

In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!

Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.

His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.

Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.

Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.

He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.

Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from the pen of Matthew Reilly, this one is truly amazing. We follow the story of Skye, who, with her twin brother Red, move from Tennessee to live among the wealthy elite in the apartments surrounding New York's Central Park.

Skye and Red are enrolled at the elitist school The Monmouth, and Skye soon encounters the 'mean girls'. As Red finds himself in the popular crowd, Skye becomes an outsider, with few close friends. Then one day that changes, a chance encounter in the girls change room finally sees Skye become accepted, and she is let into the insiders secret, the tunnel under Central Park that contains a portal to an alternate New York. And the current world is heading for disaster.

Gee, this book is so much fun, I couldn't put it down. The dangers and the uncertainty that come with the unknown are well told by a master storyteller. Matthew Reilly just sucks you in and when you finally emerge from the other side, you find yourself breathless, and wanting more! So, are we going to see Skye again? Time will tell...

[K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: slut shaming, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism, self harm, racism, drug use, murder, suicide, truly godawful mental health rep, vomit, violence, gore, misogyny.

I've been super excited about this book since it was announced. So believe me when I say I am a deeply unhappy camper right now. I wanted so desperately to love this because it ticks so many of my boxes - it's Matthew Reilly, there's Mayan stuff, and there's time travel. And yet this was a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

Apparently in the US this book is being described as Mad Max meets Gossip Girl. The problem for me is that there was way too much Gossip Girl and nowhere near enough Mad Max. The first third of the book is almost exclusively an "I'm not like other girls" protagonist hating on every girl around her (including her own mother, who she slut shames repeatedly) and telling us how rich all her classmates are. And so by the time we finally got to the Mad Max side of things, I honestly didn't really care.

But more than that, every single character in this book (with the possible exception of Jenny but definitely with the inclusion of Skye) is a cardboard cut out with one or two signature characteristics to make them distinguishable from the rest. I was full of rage basically from page 1 because at no point in the story is the racism, ableism, homophobia, or misogyny challenged. Yes, I get that he's setting those characters up to be horrible people. But there are so many other ways to set up your characters as horrible people without having them repeatedly hurl slurs at minority characters. Like, you can show us in a hundred different ways that Misty, Verity and Whatsherface are complete and utter psychopaths without being all "Oh, they took a student with Down Syndrome to a post-apocalyptic wasteland and left her there to die because she tripped over and spilled hot chocolate on a handbag. You know?

There were many things about this book that filled me with rage, but I honestly think the biggest one is just how awful Reilly is at writing female protagonists, because literally nothing about Skye felt like a teenage girl. NOTHING. The whole thing felt like a middle aged man trying to write a teenage girl and failing miserably.

But the fucking worst bit was when she comes across Misty sitting in a bathroom cubicle crying (and inexplicably holding her stained knickers and shorts???) because she got her period unexpectedly. Matthew. My dude. Practically every uterus-having person between the ages of 12 and death has had the experience of getting their period unexpectedly. And I can guarantee you that practically all of those uterus-having people can tell you about a time that they kludged together a pad/tampon monstrosity out of toilet paper, tied their sweater around their waist, and ran to the nearest uterus-having person to ask for supplies and possibly also a change of clothes. Like...EVERYONE HAS BEEN THERE, DUDE.

I can't think of a time when I haven't had a full day's worth of supplies with me just in case a) I need them unexpectedly or b) someone has an emergency situation and needs supplies of their own. The idea that we - people who bleed thirteen weeks out of the year - would sit on the floor and cry over a little blood is extreme bullshit. We ain't got time for crying. As the slogan for my brand of feminine hygiene products states, anything you can do, we can do bleeding.

Add in the fact that Misty is the most popular girl in their class and could literally yell "HAS ANYONE GOT A TAMPON?" and be instantly showered in them, and I was about ready to stab a bitch.

And don't even get me started on the fact that they travel 20-odd years into the future and the fuel still works.

In short: the premise of this is cool. The execution, however, is 250 pages of telling-not-showing, terrible characters, average writing, and a general attitude that I'm slightly horrified was published as it stands in 2019. 0/10, would not recommend.

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

HOOOOO BOY. I was warned going into this that it was bad, but boy oh boy was this BAD. And I only read the first 37 pages!!
Here is a list of things that made me DNF this piece of trash:

- it is clear from the get-go that this is is full of telling, not showing (seriously, just read the first few lines and you'll get what I mean)
- so much slut shaming (and it's just SO obvious that this is written by a dude)
- referring to black girl's skin as 'cappuccino'. UGH, JUST... NO.
- TERRIBLE mental health rep (tw: self harm)
- disgusting portrayal of 'oh this main character is SUCH a good person because she stood up for a disabled girl who was getting picked on' but it's SO obvious that the MC looks down on this girl because she says, "Leave the poor girl alone."
- casual racism... "Saudis," she said derisively. "No class, no culture, just vulgar."

I get that maybe some of these characters are meant to be unlikable... but did he have to do it this way??? I just honestly cannot be bothered reading the rest of this because i've had enough and i'm only on page 38 haha

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy (even if I didn't like it, I still really appreciate it!)

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect novel to introduce YA fans into the action-packed world(s) of Matthew Reilly.

It's not a traditional YA novel, nor is it the fast-paced, explosive thriller that most of Reilly's work is. It blends the two to create something totally unique and for that it's going to attract a wide variety of readers.

Naturally, this is my JAM.

✓Love action.
✓Love YA.
✓Love MR.
✓Love rich kid drama.

This was always going to be a win for me.

It's so strange to read Rich Kid Drama written by the pen of my favourite action author, but the man is talented. His meticulous researching has apparently strayed into the world of rich New York snobs so it's all quite believable and delightfully dramatic. Did I mention that I love Rich Kid Drama? The name calling, the social hierarchy, the minions, the lure and battle-worthy attraction of the opposite sex. The level of pettiness is such addictive trash to me. I am so far removed from that world that it's all delicious fiction - legit would not know what to do if confronted with actual real life scenarios like those that present themselves in Rich Kid Drama stories.

So we have the classic Rich Kid Drama but it's been experimented on by the action-loving, death-dealing MR, who introduces his love of ancient civilisations and crazy theories in the form of time travel. Naturally, he destroys a city to give us plenty to gawk at, not to mention mess with those spoilt rich kids a little. The promo pics are on point.

I loved this from the get-go, even though it wasn't what I was expecting. It was The Tournament all over again, with an intro that had me wondering where all the military personnel were. No soldiers? No guns? No helicopters? No explosions?? But once you get used to the vastly different setting, it's quite clearly a MR novel. There's still plenty going on, and plenty to keep the mind turning. Time travel always does my head in but the way it was presented here held me captivated. Completely unsurprised that I read another MR book in less than a day.

This feels like a YA story but it has more depth, and there's still the classic Reilly breed of action. It's going to appeal to YA fans as well as MR fans, although the Scarecrow fans may chafe at the change of direction. But no matter the genre or themes, Reilly's books always hook me fast and don't let go until it's all over. That hasn't changed.

I'd definitely recommend MR fans get a copy, but this will also be a hit with YA fans who, like me, enjoy their Rich Kid Drama. There's a great story here with fun characters, and while some of it may be predictable, it's still highly enjoyable and delivered in such a way that you'll still encounter surprises along the way.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for my uncorrected proof copy

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twin siblings, Skye and Red Rogers had no choice but to move to Manhattan when their father became unable to care for them, (plus an incident from Skye’s past had bearing on the decision) but to move in with their mother and step-father was not what Skye wished for. She and her mother had never seen eye to eye; but going to a new high school was even worse to comprehend. Red immediately slotted in with the cool kids – that was his way – but Skye was awkward and uncomfortable. It was Jenny who made the first move toward Skye. But Misty and her friends were the elite – nasty, intimidating, manipulative – would Skye ever fit in? And did she even want to?

When Skye was invited to join a group called the Secret Runners of New York, she had no idea what she was in for. The talk of a global apocalypse had been on everyone’s lips for some time, but no one could quite believe it. Until the group headed underground and through a portal to the future. Shocking was a mild way of looking at it – could they change the future? The thought of what was to come sent shivers down their spines…

The Secret Runners of New York – wow! I was enthralled! Aussie author Matthew Reilly has really hit the ball out of the park with this one. Centred around a group of young, elite, rich socialite teenagers who had no care for anyone but themselves – then along came Skye and Red. The ensuing story was in turn captivating, horrifying, breathtaking and ghastly; I thoroughly enjoyed it! Highly recommended.

With thanks to Pan Macmillan AU for my uncorrected proof ARC (wrapped in special The Runners of New York gift wrap) to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a bit of a mix between Stranger Things and Mean Girls, strengthened by some Matthew Reilly awesomeness.


Skye and her brother move to Manhattan, New York. They go to a very elite high school. It’s also a school with another reputation. Three girls have recently gone missing there. The only thing they had in common was that they were the new girl in school. Now Skye’s the new girl and she hasn’t got a clue what kind of danger she’s walking into.


Plot-wise, this is a really interesting story. It’s a lot more gripping, suspenseful and action-packed than you’d suspect at first glance. But then again, this is still very much a Matthew Reilly story. The mean rich girls concept gives us an interesting way to look at the theme this book embodies of rich Vs poor. Combine this with an end of the world event and time travelling, and you’ve got a recipe for greatness.


Matthew Reilly knows how to create really strong and interesting larger than life characters. And I think the concept of the protagonist and the mean rich girls in general is great. But Matthew Reilly is just not an expert at writing a teenage rich girl and this can be noticeable.


In terms of world building, it’s obvious Matthew Reilly knows a lot about New York. And he does a wonderful job of trying to get across his fascination with this city to us readers. The whole reading experience is also easily elevated here for anyone who has ever been to New York. Unfortunately, I have not.


Matthew Reilly is without a shred of a doubt one of my favorite authors of all time. And the concept of this book is really fascinating. That being said, this is not his best work.

[Jenniely · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was sent this via Netgalley for an honest review.
I'm only 5% into this book and it's already so problematic - has it not been edited?
Sexism
Ableism
Racism

YEP. The trifecta.
This isn't the first time a very popular male author has tried his hand at a YA novel, only to make these mistakes (I'm looking at you, Killer T).
From the girl who has Down Syndrome and is described as 'moon faced' and is part of a little sister program that is only there to SHOW THE OTHER STUDENTS HOW FORTUNATE THEY ARE.

I mean, come on.

The female protag is 'Not like the other girls' because she shuns makeup and would be so pretty if she tried...
EYE ROLL.
Are we not sick of this sexist trope yet?
GIRLS CAN LOOK FIERCE AND STILL BE DEFIANT AND INTERESTING CHARACTERS.

Oh and of course - all girls but Skye in this school are bitchy, slut shaming, mean gossips who only care about superficial things. Of course. That's what we're all like.

OH and apparently there's some more bullying involving mental health... I haven't got to that bit and never will but I'm honestly not surprised.

I could go on and on. Part of me wants to continue reading to see how much worse it gets but honestly I have enough to do without reading books that make my blood boil.

Yes I am going to give it a 1 star, even though I haven't finished it, because it's appalling that books are still being published with this harmful content.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always have a lot of admiration for an author who decides to try something new; sometimes it works perfectly other times it can result in a massive fail. I am pleased to add that The Secret Runners of New York falls into the latter category and was refreshingly original and hugely enjoyable. It's an all-action adventure with no unnecessary plot padding and the subject of bullying is broached in a sensitive way. I also appreciate that instead of just using time travel as the core concept there is actually meaning and a well-planned idea behind it; in other words, it has a purpose.

I found it gripping and very compelling right from the first page as it launches you headfirst into an immersive and well-written story, with a mostly nicely rendered character cast. Reilly adeptly moulds a creepy, ominous atmosphere of thrills and unpredictability that the young adult market, especially, will devour. I have to admit that it was a book with two distinct parts - the first reads a lot like Gossip Girl and shows the pettiness and brattiness of rich kids, not all of them, but it did feel a little stereotypical. The second was much better for me as it was a whole lot more brutal, apocalyptic and bloody.

It's a fun, easy, fast-paced read with a footing based primarily in the improbable; quite a large proportion of what happens is unlikely, but of course, that is the escapism I, and many others, often look for in fiction.

Many thanks to Hot Key Books for an ARC.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Matthew Reilly’s books - he’s the only author I’ll buy in hardback - and love action thrillers, time travel and post apocalyptic stories, so why only 3 stars? Well unfortunately I’m just too old for YA fiction now, and this book spends way too long in Rich Mean Girl World before the action gets going, and I don’t think Reilly pulls off first person young female narrator. It was a brave move, and I admire the attempt, but if you don’t believe in the central character, you can’t love their story.

Skye Rogers and her twin brother Red start at an exclusive New York school when they have to move in with their beauty queen mother and her wealthy second husband. Red is immediately admitted to the popular crowd, but shy Skye takes longer to be accepted, but when she is, they show her their favourite post party trick - an ancient Mayan time travel portal underneath Central Park which takes them to a very different, scary, post apocalyptic version of the city. With the world about to end from a radiation cloud, their trips take on a new importance, but what happened to the missing New Girls, and who is waiting for them on the other side?

The main problem here was the 150 pages of High School angst and bitchiness before very much happens - it’s only a 328 page book. We are treated to Skye’s observations on her peers, all two-dimensional stereotypes obsessed with gossip and shopping, but she’s still thrilled to finally join their clique. She’s pretty mean herself, about anyone she doesn’t perceive as her intellectual equal, and is just as shallow as the rest when it comes to the hot Cool Boy.
I also struggled with the clumsy class war politics, a very rich Australian author’s view of the American Super rich getting what he thinks they deserve.

Once the adventure part starts, I raced through it like every other MR novel, enjoying the geeky time travel twists and cheering as the baddies come to gruesome ends. The ending worked well and while there’s a hint in the After-Interview that Skye may be back, this is actually a complete story (although if there is another book we could do we more rationale for how the gems, portals and rules of time travel work - the age limit was a particularly nonsensical element.

Overall, a fun easy read which should appeal to new young fans as an introduction to an author who’s a brilliantly imaginative storyteller, just obviously doesn’t know many teenage girls.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

It’s been a while since I have read a young adult, dystopian novel. Reilly delivers on both fronts and creates an enjoyable read that eventually had me gripped and desperate to reach the book’s conclusion.

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books that I have read in recent memory.

I have only read one Matthew Reilly book previous to my foray into Secret Runners, Contest, and I remember enjoying it. It was tightly plotted, creative, easy-to-read and fun. Secret Runners is none of those things.

Runners is about the young, rich elite (*cough* relatable) facing a world ending gamma cloud with some teen drama thrown in to keep you (un)interested.

The plot is a predictable mess. The characters are extremely shallow. The tropes are endless and the over-the-top action seems forced and unnecessary.

Characters die and it triggers no emotional response because so little is done in the story to actually make you care about them, to make them relatable. In fact, they are all annoying and death is welcome in this book, which is a good thing, because the second half sees so much of it.

The first half is: fitting in, teen suicide, the trouble with riches, debutante balls, gamma clouds, eavesdropping, mean girls, boys in lacrosse uniforms, an untold number of descriptions of New York and a weak explanation of a limp premise.

The second half is: time-travel, death, running, death, sailing, death, running and more bloody death.

My biggest issue with the entire book is how weak Reilly’s writing is. The book reads like a teenage girl’s diary, but Matthew Reilly cannot nail an adolescent’s tone-of-voice and seems to have taken very little effort to even try. Dialogue is clumsy and unrealistic and unrepresentative, stereotypes are leaned on hard, YA tropes appear like Pidgeys in tall grass and the book attempts to conjure the illusion of pace through fast-forwarding and glossing over days, weeks, months and years without a purpose and without giving the plot any actual substance.

I also took issue with how low-income earners and the homeless are depicted in this book. When confronted with the end of the world, people who earn little money apparently become violent, aggressive serial killers intent on killing anyone who earns more money then them. The rich are painted as arrogant, snobby and selfish, the poor are painted as savage, violent and insane which only leaves the middle-class as the true victims of this narrative.

The whole thing is a dirty mess that deserves to be kept secret and, when seen in a bookshop, is worth running from.

1 star.

[Quill&Queer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is misogynistic trash written by a man who watched a season of Gossip Girl and is desperate to prove he's down with the kids, but it's also really camp and stupid and I had a great time. You could say I had complicated feelings.

The entire concept of this story hinges on the reader being able to believe that there's a magical necklace that can open a portal to a tunnel in Central Park to some 20 years in the future and all it is used for is absolutely nothing. Did I mention your access to the magical tunnel is cut off at age 18?

Here's some of my favourite quotes though:

- 'Advanced placement physics?' He gave me a sideways look. 'That isn't normally popular with girls.' 'I am no ordinary girl,' I said, with what I felt was my winningest smile.
- I was vaguely aware that Bo's father was a player in the Republican Party. 'Last year, Father invited Bush 43 to our place just to talk to me about the best way to-' Bo cut himself off, blushing. 'I'm sorry, Bush 43. That sounded like the name drop of the century, didn't it?' He was genuinely abashed, annoyed at himself for performing the drop so effortlessly. It made me want to jump him then and there.
- 'A lot of the girls around here, they don't want to do anything. No goals, no ambition, no thinking. They just want to find a husband and live the life. But engineering. Wow. That's something. Takes dedication, commitment, and smarts.' He looked at me oddly, evaluating me closely. 'It's nice to meet a girl with those qualities.'
- And that was how I came to visit the Met on nine glorious occaisions to study with Bo Bradford, Head Boy at The Monmouth School and all-round sublime specimen of manliness.
- Red just shook his head apologetically and followed after her, totally and utterly pussy-whipped.
- And then I saw... rotten skeletons.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5-4 stars. Having never tapped into Matthew Reilly before, this was my introduction to his work. For me the book was easy to follow and very fast paced but the characters annoyed me although the dynamic between the siblings was interesting. I guess I find spoilt rich kids eye roll worthy lol the mystery of missing kids in an elite school, the time travel aspect and societal breakdown in New York was what held my attention to the end. This book took me on an adventure I didn’t expect. Overall I enjoyed it and I would like to hear from other Matthew Reilly fans to compare to this book to his previous works. I’m interested in reading more. Special thanks to Pan Macmillan publishers for sending me an Advance Review Copy of this book.

[Bax · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it’s safe to say that this was my first dystopian book ever, and it sat quite well with me. When picking up this book, I was a little skeptical, honestly, because the description said Gossip Girl meets Mad Max, and I didn’t really know what to expect. But still I was sold, because it also said it’s perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying. It wasn’t my most favourite book, but I really enjoyed reading it. So I said, why not?

The prologue got me hooked. The first few pages made me curious about many things, and when the prologue ended, I couldn’t help but wonder, wait a minute, wasn’t that a spoiler? And it was. But it was so clever because it gave you clues on what’s coming, but still kept you vividly curious throughout the book, because you just couldn’t be sure. And that’s what I liked about it. The plot just kept giving. At some point it was rather hard for me to stop reading, but I also didn’t want it to end. The plot buildup was a bit slow in the beginning, as the author was trying to give the back story to some of the characters, especially the MC – Skye – but the pace picked up as the story went.

Okay, let’s talk about the characters. I always have some problems with MCs from various books, and Skye was unfortunately not my favourite too. I just don’t know why. Perhaps because I saw her as someone who didn’t know what she want. I get it, high school was a nightmare. Fitting in could be hard, especially in an elite school like the one she’s attending, where social status highly mattered. But she’s not dislikable. I just wish she had a stronger personality trait. Her twin brother, Red, had an easier time fitting in, and it disappointed me that he didn’t really look out for his sister, because they were quite close to each other, so I expected him to have his sister’s back when she needed it. Well, family is never meant to be perfect, I guess. Skye had one real friend in the school, Jenny, but I somehow didn’t really feel their connection. But it was Jenny who stayed with her to the end of it, so if that’s not real friend, I don’t know what is.

And then there were the other characters who were the original secret runners before Red and Skye joined them. Suffice to say they’re all a bunch of assholes. I’m sorry, but there was really no other way to perfectly describe them. As you keep reading, you’d find your anger and resentment towards each of them increases. The main villain of this book was so psycho. I was honestly scared of her! Be sure to read to the very end. Many surprises ahead!

The world-building was quite awesome if you ask me. I really liked how the author created a post-apocalypse world that had its timeline lapsed onto current timeline. The science behind it was explained too and it’s pretty interesting. I think the author did a great job at it. Perhaps I read too little dystopian/scifi to be really thorough with my opinion on it, but I stand by my opinion. It’s awesome. My only issue with the whole thing was with how the story ended. I think it could end more tragically; it’s what I’d prefer. No matter, we had many tragic things happening throughout the book, so a little good ending was possibly a good thing.

Of course there was a bit of romance. The world was ending, but there was still some time to spare for some love yo! I absolutely adored Bo. He sounded like a very nice guy. And the way he expressed his adoration towards Skye, ah, I loved it. Their romance was very brief and I have to say this, very tragic. I actually shed a bit of tears for them. Can’t say I didn’t see it coming, what’s with the apocalypse and all, but I was still not prepared for the heartache.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank Pansing for sending me a copy of The Secret Runners of New York in exchange for my honest review. It came out in March 2019 and you can find it in all good bookstores so be sure to look out for it!

[Connor Franks · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) If it hadn't been for the first 1/4 of this book, it would have been a solid 4 stars. The book began so slow, it was boring and I didn't think I was going to like it. But, as the story developed it picked up pace and was an amazing story.
I like the use of time travel in this book and the fact that the global apocalypse wasn't zombies but was a gama cloud, I thought this was unique as most apocalyptic books are cliche with zombies. Also, the writing was good and the gruesome, violent descriptions while disturbing in places added to the story.
The only fault I can say about it is that some of the characters weren't as developed as they could have been and there were a few minor plotholes eg. the carving in the tunnel. While these weren't necessary I think they could have added to the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and am interested in reading other books by Reilly.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced and gripping story, the plot and characters of which put me in mind of a sort of lovechild of Gossip Girl, Playing Beatie Bow and The Walking Dead, Book One.
Skye and her twin brother Red have recently moved to New York City from the South, following the breakdown of their parents' marriage and their father's committal to a psychiatric institution. They've moved into ultra-exclusive apartment building "The San Remo" on Central Park West, with their mother's new partner, and are about to start their first day at an elite private academy. Meanwhile, the population is divided as to the danger of a "gamma cloud" that the Earth will soon pass through.
Amongst their new schoolmates, Skye and Red meet some true friends and many with hidden agendas. First Red, then Skye too, are drawn into a secret ritual that involves entering a hidden underground chamber behind the Museum of Modern Art. What they discover will change their lives and futures forever.
I've always enjoyed a good (fictional) romp through a time-warp, and this was no exception. The character development was strong, and Skye was a very complex yet sympathetic central figure. Many of the supporting characters seemed a little stereotyped, but then many of them were in fact acting a role and in the midst of adolescent existential crises, so that didn't feel like a major issue.
While marketed as a YA book, this dystopian adventure story will appeal to older teenagers and adults alike. I wouldn't think the subject matter would be appropriate for middle grade readers or all young teens.

[Colleen Fauchelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

review soon

[Sarah (thegirltheycalljones)]

DNFed around 10%. Those 10% deserves one star but there's no point rating it.

Back in the days, when I had a lot of free time, I would have kept going and suffered this book until the last page, clawing at my eyes along the way but knowing I'd get a good rant out of it.
Except the intriguing prologue, it was so bad I'm still not sure it wasn't on purpose, and I guess I'll never know.
I mean, please read this quote, from a female character answering her teacher about "Have you no interest at all in what we are studying today?" :

"Ma'am, I plan to marry a young man with name-value and a whopping great trust fund, punch out a couple of munchkins for him, hire a fulltime nanny, drive a big BMW SUV and lunch in the city every day. Reading books doesn't feature in that plan at all."

She then high-fives her friend.

Yeah I know people like her probably exist but for the love of mercy, can you write more clichés in one sentence? Can it get more eye-roll worthy? Can we get something else than "Speshul Judgemental Girl" or "Mean Bitch"? It's the 21st century?

Nowadays my free time is gone, and my daily 30 minutes of leisure told me to ditch this book in the nearest gutter because even if I sacrificed a whole week to finish this thing, I wouldn't even have the time to write a ranty review.
So let's get out of this lose-lose situation and move on!

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Runners of New York

This was my first Matthew Reilly read and it wasn’t what I expected. Reading it initally the book appeared to be more of a YA read as it was set in an elite high school and there was a lot of teenage bullying, drug use, parties and general brattiness.

Once the story got going it suddenly delved into something extraordinary, time travel into an apocalyptic world! This is where the storyline twisted into an action filled adventure with a bit of thriller.

Twins Skye & Red move to Manhattan to live with their mother and step father when their father becomes unable to care for them. There are rumours of a coming global apocalypse and they are building up. The twins attend an exclusive school there for rich socialite teenagers and Skye find it’s hard to fit in and make friends. Eventually she is accepted into a clique and is invited to become part of a secret gang, 'The Secret Runners Of New York’ and then the thrills begin.

An enjoyable read to the end.

[Rina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this was a smashing disappointment. A truly weird combination of offensive, boring and his usual overly gruesome deaths (which works well in his usual stories, but really sticks out in this book).

It was definitely thrilling and really creepy during the second half of the book and these were the moments that I enjoyed. There just wasn't a lot of substance to the characters or the plot - a lot felt either really under-explained so it skimmed over the science aspects, or over-explained to dumb it down.

And please, for the love of all that good is in this world, please stop writing girls and women so badly. It's almost offensive that if a woman isn't physically kicking arse then he can't give them interesting characteristics...or like, a personality.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was my first Matthew Reilly read and I really enjoyed it. Excited to read other books by this author.

The first half was very slow and took a while to get going and when it did it got awesome. I absolutely love a good time travelling book and this one was fascinating. And the type of dystopian novel I love.

A wonderful unique and clever take on time travel. Very clever indeed!



Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda/Macmillan Australia
Narrated by Jacqui Duncan
Duration: 8 hrs, 17 min. 1.50x Speed

[Tricia Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Proof copy provided by Pan Macmillan Aus. All opinions are my own. I don’t really know how I felt about this book. The prologue grabbed my attention straight away and I thought YES this is going to be great...but then the next 60 pages or so were so over written - focusing purely on the socialites of New York and how much they spend and how bitchy they are. I honestly felt like a male author was really struggling to write a female character and decided females simply must want to hear about designer dresses and fancy things (also what is a sexless shirt? An unsexy shirt? As in it doesn’t show cleavage? Pretty sure that’s just a shirt....) I didn’t connect with any of the characters. Honestly it bored me and I nearly put it down. When you finally get to the time travel stuff, it does speed up and get interesting again.

It theory it was a great concept, and it could’ve been a fantastic YA thriller if it didn’t feel so rushed. Sorry but it missed the mark for me.

[Bridget · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a load of rubbish. Did Matthew Reilly actually write this? I find that hard to believe. This is full of brand name dropping, vacuous and utterly over the top and unrealistic conversations between characters who are boring. Gahhhh. Gutted that I spent money on this. Avoid!

[Shuk Pakhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

ম্যাথিউ রাইলি মানেই হইছে অযৌক্তিক ব্যাপার স্যাপার। রাইলির বই পড়ে মজা লই হুতাই যুক্তি খোঁজে সময় নষ্ট করি না। 😁

গামা-মেঘ আসতেছে দুনিয়াতে বা বলা যায় গামা-মেঘের মধ্যে ঢুকে যাচ্ছে পৃথিবী কয়েক ঘন্টার জন্য। বিদ্যুৎতে চলে এমন সব কিছুই নষ্ট হয়ে যাবে, মানুষ সব জায়গায় দাঁড়িয়ে মরে যাবে। এটা নিয়ে বেস হইচই চলছে....

এদিকে বড়লোক বাপ-মায়ের কিছু টিনএজ বাচ্চা ভবিষ্যতে যাওয়ার চান্স পেয়ে যায়। তারা গিয়ে দেখে আসে ধ্বংস হয়ে যাওয়া দুনিয়া। সব মানুষই মরে ভূত হয়ে গিয়েছে এমন নয় ০.৫% মানুষ টিকে আছে তারাই হয়তো শুরু করবে সভ্যতার।

বেস প্যাচানো-পুচানো কাহিনী কালরাতে শুরু করে আজকে শেষ। মজা পেয়েছি।

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book.

I got this book free from Readersfirst in exchange for a review. I loved this book it was interesting and it got very exciting as it went on. It’s not a long book but it doesn’t need to be. The story was a unusual idea but it worked, maybe the author will write a sequel.

[Sahadat Hossain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad..not so good as other MR books...
Yet couldn’t Just stop reading..somehow it attracted me to know what happens next. What happend to the missing girls? What's gonna haplen to RED -BLUE??

To be honest, i would stop reading this book after 40% progress if it weren’t written by MR...time traveling is not my fav genre..

Yet, it’s kind of worth giving a try.

[Orláith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before receiving this book for review I had never heard of Matthew Reilly but its synopsis had me intrigued.

Unfortunately, "Gossip Girl meets Mad Max" this is not.

The book starts off painfully slow, with cringeworthy teenage dialogue and cardboard cutout bullies.

When the science fiction aspects of the plot finally kicked in it was actually enjoyable but for me it just felt too little, too late. I feel that if the characters were older and there were fewer YA clichés I would have really enjoyed this book.

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full review coming soon on scifiandscary.com

‘The Secret Runners of New York’ describes itself as ‘Mad Max’ meets ‘Gossip Girl’. If that sounds like a weird combination it’s because it is, and as a result the book doesn’t work at all. Mathew Reilly’s books have always been a bit silly, but this YA entry takes that to new levels with a completely nonsensical plot, unpleasant characters and some frankly offensive politics. It’s readable for the most part, but a complete waste of time.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a clever idea!! I do quite like a good time travel book. I thought this was going to be a bit too YA for me in the beginning, but it sorted itself out. Some of the aspects of the time travel did my head in when I was trying to work out the intricacies, but it was a fun read!

[Emiliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много добра.