Review: Anywhere - Jon Robinson

Anywhere by Jon Robinson, published by Puffin on 3rd July 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
Six kids have escaped from a prison in the middle of nowhere. Now they're being hunted.

And they're beginning to realise they have a valuable skill - a skill that powerful people want for themselves.

They need to use it now more than ever, but can they learn how to in time?

Review:
*There may be spoilers from the previous book in the series

'Anywhere' is the second book in this exciting conspiracy series about teenagers Alyn, Jes, Ryan and Elsa, along with Harlan and Julian, as they try to leave the terrible existence of Nowhere behind them. 

 

The teens are separated as they go on the run, determined that they will never return to the terrible prison in which they were held.  As they learn more about their special abilities, they have to decide how to use them and who to trust.  As the characters all become separated, it means that we get to see them trying to survive in different situations and locations, with varying levels of success.  This kept the story flowing and provided plenty of opportunities for plot development.

 

I am over the moon that finally some of my questions have been answered.  I thought the explanation behind their captivity was actually quite plausible and believable which made it all the more scary.  It was great getting to find out more about the people and the organisation behind it all.  But be warned, they are scary bunch of individuals, particularly the insane Stephen!

 

Each chapter in the book is fairly short but impactful and there is always something happening which means that the story rockets along at breakneck speed.  I finished reading this in one evening because it was just so addictive that I couldn’t put it down.  A pacy and exciting read that fans of the TV series Misfits will definitely want to pick up. 

 

Please let me have the final book now!  Somewhere’ is due to be published in 2015.   

Review: Nowhere - Jon Robinson

Nowhere by Jon Robinson, published by Puffin on 4th July 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
Alyn, Jes, Ryan and Elsa are Nowhere.
A concrete cube in the middle of a dense forest.
Imprisoned inside are one hundred teenagers from all over the country.
They're all criminals. But none of them remember committing any crimes.
Who has put them there. What do their captors want?
And how will they ever break free...

Review:
Nowhere’ by Jon Robinson is the first in an enigmatic and thrilling new YA series.  I hadn’t actually heard a lot about it prior to reading this so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I think that was a good thing because it meant that I was continually taken by surprise in terms of the quality of the plot and the unusual twists and turns that the author incorporated.

 

The premise for this book is brilliant!  Teenagers put in prison in the middle of nowhere, with no knowledge of why they are there.  This must be everybody’s worst nightmare and that alone was enough to hook me in and get me interested in the characters' plights.   

 

The story was really puzzling but in a good way.  There were hints and clues as to what was going on but you had to try to connect all the dots yourself.  I still have lots and lots of questions about the reasons why the teenagers were all being held in the prison and why they were made to think that they were guilty of crimes they had not committed.  It would have been nice to have found out a bit more by the end of the book but I guess a lot of the reveals are being saved for later in the series. 

 

The teens themselves were an interesting bunch.  The book focuses on Alyn, Jes, Ryan and Elsa as they attempt to break out and escape.  I admired their strong will and determination and found myself really rooting for them to succeed.  I would have liked a little more character development throughout the book but flashes of their previous lives are interwoven into the story.      

 

This is a debut novel by a UK author who is definitely one to watch.  I’m eager to read the follow-up ‘Anywhere’ which I’m hoping will shed light on some of the mysteries that are still unanswered.