Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Great Book Alert Great Book Alert!!!

Every so often I read a book that I totally connect with and when I do, it’s a wondrous reading experience. I can’t put the book down. I take it to work. I don’t turn on the television preferring to read. I don’t even turn on the computer; instead I spend my time reading.

Such is the case with Countdown by Michelle Maddox. I mentioned a while ago that my reading world has opened up since I started reading first person books. I’m so glad that it did – otherwise I might have missed this real gem of a book.

It’s from the Dorchester Shomi line and after originally turning my nose up at the idea, I am totally sold now. This is the third book I’ve read in the Shomi line and each one has been terrific!

But on to this book.

As I mentioned, this book is written in the first person. It takes some time in the future after a devastating plague has wiped out quarter of the world’s population. And of those that are left, most are trying to get to another place – the Offworld – where things are good. But back on earth, it’s a desolate place.

The heroine Kira Jordan, survived the murder of her family at the age of 16 and has become a person on the streets with no real home. She lives by her wits and by ripping off anyone she can. Not exactly heroine material, but it really works as we see inside her head and rather than hard, she’s just desperate.

She’s just finished lifting a pair of great running shoes when something happens and she wakes up chained to someone. The ‘someone’ turns out to be Rogan, a man who has spent the past four years in prison for the rape and murder of a number of college students. It seems they have to work together in a real life, real time video game in which if they fail the six levels they have to get through, the result is death. To make the ‘game’ even more intriguing, they each have been given implants that prevent them from being more than 90 feet away from each other. They are forced to play six levels of a game, all the while being watched by a group of ‘subscriber’s observing their every move.

It ends up being such a roller coaster ride. I found it very hard to put down and on more than one occasion I was late back from my lunch and breaks at work.

(In fact I may have been so excited about this book, I stayed home from work to finish reading it and got busted by my son when he showed up unexpectedly on a day off to borrow my lawnmower and saw my car. I’m not saying that did happen, cause that would have been wrong of this good little worker bee to do – but I just might have done it)

The concept reminded me somewhat of the movie The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger – (based on a book by Stephen King but I haven’t read the Stephen King novel). And probably some Matrix should be thrown in too. It was fast-paced, a thrill of a run and a great love story all combined into one. It was like nothing I’ve ever read before but something I could REALLY get on board with.

Rogan turns out to be not exactly as she thinks he is and as they play the game they are forced to play, he is slowly revealed to be a true tortured hero.

Although this book isn’t out until August, I was so excited and so pumped about it, I just had to do this review now.

This one is a Do Not Miss book and my advice is to mark you calendars for August when this real treat of a book goes on sale!

Grade: 5 out of 5

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm a fan of the Shomi line, too. Michelle Maddox is an aka for Michelle Rowen...a Canadian girl no less.

Margaret

KT Grant said...

Great when you find such a read you will call in sick to stay home and read it. LOL!

Lori said...

I can't remember the last time I called in sick to read. Hmmm.... *getting ideas*....

I read the excerpt; it sounds very interesting, and I absolutely do not like 1st person! I may have to try this one, though! Thanks, Kristie!

And, laughing at getting caught by the kid :)

Wendy said...

I can't wait to read Countdown! I've read the first 4 (5?) chapters and ohmygod, it's so good!

Christine said...

Wow!! What a fantastic grade, Kristie! I happen to be a big fan of Shomi too, so I'm thrilled to hear that this one is a winner! I added it to my wish list! ... which is ridiculously long..... ;)

Carolyn Crane said...

Oh, MAN! I was so excited, and it doesn't come out until August?
What a great tip off, though. I'll be watching for it.

Kristie (J) said...

CJ: I will be sure to post again when this one comes out - just to remind everyone *g*

Chris: I haven't read all of them yet - but the ones I've read have really impressed me!!

Wendy: Isn't it though!!!! And it keeps up the goodness all the way through! (and since I didn't want to get confused since there are two Wendy's that I know blogging now - I called you New Wendy *g*)

Lori: I know what you mean about first person. It wasn't that long ago I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole. But starting with the Stephanie Plum books and culminating with Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil, I totally open to them now. You should try them again. That lightning might strike twice ;~) And this one is a great one for the lightning to hit (as is SD & BED).
And *laughing* I didn't really confess to staying home to read - but if I did, being busted by the kid would have been even funnier if, say I didn't answer the door when I heard a knock then the doorbell ringing twice because not only could I have taken the day off - but I wasn't even dressed! - then the phone ringing because I didn't answer the phone and it was said kid at the door wondering why I didn't answer the door. You see - said kid lost his key to the house. Nope - not confessing to any of that.

Katie: It is great when one finds such a book isn't it? Not that I'm confessing to doing such a thing of course.

Margaret: Hello! And Welcome! The ones I've read have been great. In fact Kate and I have something up our collective sleeves for another in the series - we are always plotting *evil grin*. And when I checked her web site, I noticed she was a neighbour - globally speaking!