Review: Out of Control - Sarah Alderson

Out of Control by Sarah Alderson, published by Simon and Schuster on 22nd May 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
When 17 year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she’s taken into police custody for her own protection. But when the police station is attacked and bullets start flying it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she’s a target.

Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit two killers who will stop at nothing to find them.

When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall.

Review:
Sarah Alderson is one of my favourite authors so it's a big event when she has a new book out!  Her stories are always varied and different and her writing remains top quality from start to finish.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on 'Out of Control' and when I did I devoured it in one sitting. 

The story is set in one of my favourite places, New York and features Liva and Jay as they go on the run and try to outwit and outrun the men who are chasing them.  With no idea why they are being hunted, they can't trust anyone as they flee police custody and try desperately to stay alive.  The big question is who wants them and why?      

The opening of the book has to be one of the best that I've ever read.  Sarah Alderson has said that it's based on one of her favourite movies Terminator and it certainly grabbed me and had me absolutely hooked and on the edge of my seat.  Explosive, action packed, tense and exciting, it set the scene for the rest of the story and laced everything with an element of real danger.  I also enjoyed trying to puzzle out why someone would want to capture a teenage girl and although I had a few theories, none of them were correct.  The big reveal when it came was therefore absolutely gripping and totally surprising. 

There is some romance in the book between Liva and Jay but this develops slowly, as they have little time for flirting.  There are some spine tingling scenes between them but for once I liked the fact that the romance took a backseat to the main plot and to the action driven scenes which dominated the book.  I don't think it would have worked if it had been the other way around. 

The ending of 'Out of Control' was awesome and so tense that I couldn't put it down.  This is Sarah Alderson at her very best and was a five star read which I will definitely be recommending.