Running Scared

Blade #4

by Tim Bowler

From the Carnegie Medal-winning author of River Boy, Starseeker and Frozen Fire comes the fourth title in a startlingly compelling new series. Contemporary, pacy, and utterly gripping, Blade takes you on a roller-coaster ride through the secret, dangerous life of its unforgettable narrator. This thrilling new series for teenagers combines an enormously likable and engaging central character with the harsh realities of street life and the youth gang culture that is so prevalent in today's news. The mysteries and cliffhanger endings of these short, accessible books will have the power to tempt all readers as they gradually become absorbed into Blade's dangerous world.

162 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Tim Bowler is one of the UK’s most compelling and original writers for teenagers. He was born in Leigh-on-Sea and after studying Swedish at University he worked in forestry, the timber trade, teaching and translating before becoming a full-time writer. He lives with his wife in a small village in Devon and his workroom is an old stone outhouse known to friends as ‘Tim’s Bolthole’.

Tim has written twenty books and won fifteen awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal for River Boy. His most recent novel is the gripping Bloodchild and his provocative Blade series is being hailed as a groundbreaking work of fiction. He has been described by the Sunday Telegraph as ‘the master of the psychological thriller’ and by the Independent as ‘one of the truly individual voices in British teenage fiction’.

Reviews

[Elvira H]

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a good book that explains to be proud of what flaws you got and to not to judge people by their appearance. In this book the main character, Juliet, is sent to this special hospital by her parents just because she was different. Her time in the hospital was filled with cruelty and hatred towards Juliet. Unexpected Juliet gets a “cell mate” and guess what? He hates her too, but with time, they both start to notice that their flaws are similar, and they are different from normal people. They both have feelings for each other. They make an escape from the hospital as partners making it out together. I would recommend this book to people who question their looks towards other people to rethink that and who likes a little romance .

[Sue Murdoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having finished the Blade series it made me realise that to truly understand the whole story completing all four books is absolutely necessary. Some may be drawn to the thriller aspect conveyed by the title, cover and blurb, however, it is story of violent and brutal events, both in terms if physical actions and psychological manipulation by people in power. To understand Blade one must keep reading; the darkest elements (but discreetly conveyed) resonate with investigations currently taking place into child abuse in the 1970s. It must be said that the book ends with hope and the message that we can overcome.

[Oliver]

Good

[Z.A. Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the Blade series. I like that it's gritty YA fiction that doesn't pull any punches but offers hope in the end. Blade is a fascinating character and Tim Bowler does a great job of upping the ante. The suspense just kept increasing throughout the series and it was great to see who Blade really was on the inside - to see what makes him tick, what his greatest fears are, what choices he makes and why. Watching Blade open up throughout the series and seeing how things turned out in the end made this feel like an urban epic to me. The ending was satisfying and made me glad I read the series.