Today's read is a quick dive into a thriller for young adults. Sometimes, a short read is all that's necessary, and this one is, hopefully, that. I'm expecting thrilling moments, high tension, and some action, too. Let's see if it can deliver all of that in under 150 pages.
SHOCK WAVE
by Sigmund Brouwer
Orca Book Publishers
YA Thriller
144 pages
COMING...
AUGUST 13th!!!
It’s the first week of summer and former army brat Jake Ballard is spending it alone at his uncle’s cottage while his mom gets treatment for PTSD.
Jake's boring day gets flipped upside down when a beautiful stranger asks him to help play a prank on her friends. But when an angry crime boss turns up at the cottage the next morning, Jake is sure of two things: the night before was a big mistake, and that girl was no prankster. And she is nowhere to be found.
Jake has twenty-four hours to return the stolen goods...or else. He has no other choice but to find the girl—and hopefully not find himself in any more trouble than he’s already in.
Jake has twenty-four hours to return the stolen goods...or else. He has no other choice but to find the girl—and hopefully not find himself in any more trouble than he’s already in.
MY TIDBITS
The tension soars high in this fast-paced read, where nothing is as it seems.
Jake's done with high school and isn't sure what to do next, especially since his mother is at treatment for PTSD thanks to her experiences as a military nurse. Luckily, his uncle has a small hut next to a dock, where he can take a quiet brake from life and think about things. When a strange girl convinces him to help her carry out a prank, he does his best to make sure everything's above board. Until it isn't. Suddenly, he finds himself threatened over stolen goods he knows nothing about, but if he doesn't figure it out within 24-hours, everything's going to go up in smoke around him.
This is part of a series of books put out by Orca Publishing, which gives intense stories for teens while keeping them accessible to those readers, who might still be struggling a bit. ..and it does an amazing job at it. Not only is it under 150 pages (no big book scares) and has a slightly larger font than many reads, but it soars along smoothly and grabs on every page.
Jake is an easy-to-grasp-guy, who is just trying to figure out life...like so many his age. When things go array, it isn't because he acted 'stupid' but was really going against someone above his level. It makes him easy to stand with and root for. He comes across as naturally as the guy next door and his decisions, for the most part, make perfect sense.
It was hard to put this read down thanks to the high-tension and pacing. Every moment heads into another difficult turn, and there's even a bit of a mystery to keep the reader wondering how things are going to work out. It's a fun, quick read from beginning to end.
And here he is...
With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta. The Talk: Reach for Your Dreams. It doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you decide to go in life that is important. Sigmund Brouwer encourages students to reach for their dreams, giving them fun and practical advice for the reading and writing skills that are the foundation of future success. The Presentation: Sigmund's presentations are an hour of high-level energy. He especially reaches out to reluctant readers and gears the talk to engage their attention. Audience size varies; often his presentations take place in the gym for the entire school, including kindergarten. (After the first half hour, the K-2 grades are dismissed, and the remainder of the presentation is focused on the older students.) There are no restrictions on audience size except for the space limitations of the gym. Smaller schools are welcome to invite another school to share in the cost of the presentation.
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