First, thanks to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this title. For a little while today I was afraid I wouldn’t get to finish the e-galley. I set my Nook down to take my dogs outside. When I came back in and picked my Nook back up, the file was gone from my Bluefire Reader App. But, eventually I figured it had to still be on my Nook somewhere, even if it was expired. So I typed into the search bar and found it. And opened it and got right back into reading it. I only had about 60 pages left, less by the time I finished and the last 5 or so pages were acknowledgements, etc.
The story is about a girl, we don’t know her name, but she decides to tell a boy who asks that her name is Sunny. So that is what she goes by. The boy is Ben and she meets him in a grocery store, right after she first wakes up in the subway station. She wakes up on the tracks, her feet tangled up in a backpack, very weak and not able to move easily. The train does go over her, even as it is stopping, but she is able to stay low enough to the ground to not really be hurt. She doesn’t know who she is, and she finds a note in her backpack that says not to talk to the police, and gives her a phone number to call. So she takes off. It is on the run that she meets Ben, who offers to help her. But she doesn’t know him, and knows that she must stay off the radar. The phone number leads her to a place that has just been robbed. And now she is wanted for that. She soon figures out there is a tracker in her backpack and she leaves it in a park in the exact same spot for two days, trying to draw in and trap whoever is tracking her. It works, but the man who says his name is Ivan isn’t really the bad guy she thought he was. He had saved her earlier from a woman who had been going to shoot her. And he ends up getting taken by two other mysterious guys, and now Sunny is worried for his safety. As she tries to figure out who she is, while keeping two steps ahead of the cops and the others looking for her, she begins to have memories. Of a funeral, of a boy, in a forest, of being chased. She soon realizes, with Ben’s help, that she is being hunted as part of a game. Where people hunt other people. And she learns something about an island that she must have begun being hunted on. She seems to have a friend in Ben, but she doesn’t want him to get hurt along the way. Also, a girl staying next door to Ben is Izzy, and they kind of become friends, even though Sunny can’t tell her anything.
Of course it all is part of an adventure, and knowing this will have a second part, of course there were also many things left hanging. While we’ve learned basically what is going on with Sunny, and who these people chasing her are, we don’t know exactly “who” she really is. There are things about Ben that we still need to know, and who the boy from the island really is. Also, what funeral was she at? And will she be able to escape with her life and bring this human hunting ring down?
This was definitely a good story, and it was getting really good when I had the scare of possibly the file being gone. But I’m not sure how I feel about the story being told in 2nd person. All of Sunny’s parts are told in 2nd person. It feels a bit like reading one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books. Definitely a new way to read, or unusual if not new I guess. And once I got into it, the “you” bit didn’t trip me up as much as it did at first. Actually I think this is a great book, one that English teachers could totally use to show examples of what 2nd person means.
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I have heard many people say they did not love the story being told in 2nd person. I think I will just have to give it a shot and see what I think.
It was difficult at first, but not so bad once I got into it. Definitely give it a try!
I just began reading this and you are right the 2nd POV is really tripping me but as you have stated it gets much better later as things begin to make sense….. *fingers crossed* i hope you are correct and great review by the way.
Aparajita @Le' Grande Codex
It does get better. I liked it by the end. Thanks for stopping by!
That's so weird that it disappeared o.O. I have a Glowlight Nook so I don't know much about the fancy HD/Color ones. At least you got to finish it!
I'm happy you liked this one! I really liked Anna Carey's other book so I'm excited to check this adventure out! 🙂
Amber Elise @ Du Livre
It was a lot different from her other books, which I also enjoyed. But definitely an interesting read. Thanks for visiting!
It's been a long time (if ever) that I've read a book written in the 2nd person! I agree with you that it might seem strange! This sounds like a great story with mystery and adventure. I'll have to add it to my TBR list! Thanks for sharing your comments!
I know, I wasn't sure if I'd ever done it, until I realized it was like those Choose YOur Own Adventure books. Thanks for visiting!
Interesting thoughts 🙂
Unfortunately, I easily get put off when it comes to books; if the story doesn't hook me or arouse my curiosity from the early pages, then I get bored and become very reluctant to carry on. With Blackbird, I can say right now that the 2nd person writing style would deeply affect my interest. However, although the first half of the book may be challenging for me and getting used to the writing style may take time, since you and others liked it, and the story-line itself sounds interesting, I'm willing to stick through to the end 🙂
I don't know if it was quite half way before I got into it, but it did take a bit to get me really involved I think. Hope you get to give it a try!
I can't wait to read this book because it sounds great. I haven't read any of Anna Carey's books but I have the Eve series book 1. 🙂
I really enjoyed the Eve series, and this is a very original read. Thanks for commenting!
I'm really really intrigued about the second person narrative because it so seldomly used! Sounds like the story is also a cool thriller type story!
So glad that you managed to recover the file and finish the story! It would have sucked otherwise!
It is definitely something that makes it stick in your head as different. I was so glad as well! I was extremely frustrated. But so glad when I recovered it. Thanks for stopping by!
I am getting towards the middle of this one, and I am enjoying the mystery of the story. But I will admit that I have started to notice my attention waning a bit. It is nice to know that is is good on through the story. Gives me the motivation to keep on reading. It does stink to know that we don't find out who Sunny really is yet, though. Oh, and I love the cover big time!
It does pick up towards the end. So keep going! Thanks for visiting!
OK. Can I just say that this cover is freaking FANTASTIC! It is so creepy and it draws me in. I might just have to pick it up since it seems like a lot of people are talking about it 🙂
It is an awesome cover! And definitely worth giving a try!
I like stories like this, with lots of unanswered questions and mystery and surprises. Never heard of it before but will probably give it a try, sounds like a lot of fun. Good review!
I hope you get it and enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting!
This sounds like an interesting story. I like a good mystery. I like stories of people trying to remember the past and putting together pieces of their lives.
It is definitely one of trying to put the pieces together!
I think you probably enjoyed this more than I did, I got a little fed up with all the sentences that started with 'You'. It's a good example of second person though ☺
It did take a bit to get used to it, but eventually I did. Thanks for stopping by!