Countdown - Book Review

Countdown
by Michelle Rowen

What is it about:
3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.

Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove evermore deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape.

GAME OVER

What did I think of it:
I bought this book because it sounded like a YA version of The Running Man. It was only after I received the book that I found out it had been released earlier as an adult book and was now re-released after being rewritten for a YA audience. I haven't read the original story though, so for me it wasn't a problem.

And this is an entertaining read.

Both Kira and Rogan are interesting characters and it was easy to root for them. I did think the book missed bite though. For a story that is about a deadly game it wasn't very intense or suspenseful. Even when the last seconds of a challenge were counting down I never felt the pressure of failure press down on Kira and Rogan. I think that had to do with how the book was written, it was a bit too breezy in my opinion, it didn't get me emotionally involved.

But apart from that missing emotional attachment to the characters and story this is a cool read. It has an intriguing setting and there's lots of action. The breezy writing made that I finished the book in no time.

All in all this is a nice YA read and I might check out other books by Rowen in the future.

Why should you read it:
It's an entertaining Dystopian YA read.