Content warning: self-harm, violence

So, if you asked me to describe this book I’d have to say that it’s a bit like Gossip Girl got smacked in the face with Umbrella Academy and then some classic YA heroines came in and kicked it a little.

But in a good way.

You’ve got the rich Manhattan lifestyle of Gossip Girl, the sense of impending doom of Umbrella Academy and that combination of teenage girl insecurity and fire that comes from all our favourite heroines. Altogether it’s a really good combination.

One of the things that struck me while reading is that, while a lot of the issues this book explores do come from a female perspective - this book looks at that all too relatable problem of ‘mean girls’ (albeit to a somewhat more extreme extent) - overall I felt like this was a book that could really easily be read by teenagers of any (and no) gender. Skye has romance within this book but that’s not really what’s important (I’m making the educated guess that a fair few teenage boys don’t like, or won’t admit to liking, to read fiction with romance). I genuinely think this book would work for anyone who likes this genre and I’m really glad that the cover and the copy seem to reflect that fact.

The pacing in the story is quite interesting. Most books of this ilk would tend to push you into the apocalyptic setting pretty quickly since that’s where the action is. In this case, I’d say 60-70% of the book is set before that, with very little preparation for events to come. It’s much more about the relationships between these teenagers in light of what they know about the future.

Time travel is always a bit of a minefield in fiction, in this case, I thought it was handled well, there are strict rules as to how it works and even the beginnings of an explanation for the science behind it. I wonder if a bit more of a history of how the runners began and how they became exclusively Manhattan’s elite would have been interesting - but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

I don’t think it’s unfair to say that this book was pretty predictable. That’s not a criticism - I know some people really like the familiarity of particular story arks - but people looking to be totally wowed by plot twists galore may not find them in this particular story.  

It’s always tricky to assess the representation of mental health issues in stories like this, where some of the conflicts arise from the stigma surrounding mental health. I do think this book managed to capture the broad spectrum of ways in which mental health can be affected - particularly among teenagers but in adulthood as well. I don’t know that it went into a huge amount of detail but it might be a good springboard for wider discussions off the page. There are some moments where characters have less than favourable attitudes towards mental health issues, which some readers may find distressing, but I’d say that for the most part it’s made clear that those aren’t appropriate or desirable attitudes to have.

Overall, I thought that this was a good book. It didn’t do anything to particularly wow me, and I felt like a lot of the major plot points got crammed into the end - hence the three-star rating, but for me three-stars means that I did enjoy it and would recommend it to people for whom this is their kind of book.

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Secret Runners of New York is out now!

I really liked this book, an exciting, fast-paced sci-fi/fantasy novel about the impending apocalypse. What was unusual was the setting -- the ultra-rich New York society, specifically their teens. Even though a lack of explanation for the portal bothered me, as did the impossibility of keeping it secret, I enjoyed the writing and the characters. There were moments when I thought it was about to get predictable, but the book kept surprising me. There are a few aspects for which a suspension of disbelief is needed, for instance, how Skye and Red became members of the "in" club, and why, the twins, despite being close, seemed to have such separate lives suddenly. But overall, I liked the author's vision of the end of the world, dark though it was. Be warned that there's a fair bit of violence at the end.

I'm currently about 20% in and am finding some of the content to be rather problematic. I'm not enjoying the way in which some details are dealt with and am not enjoy thing the writing style. I think this is an intriguing premise and that a lot of people may love this book but for me it isn't quite what I was looking for. I may return to it at a later date but for now what I've read hasn't captured my attention in a good way and would prefer not to carry on.

Skye and her twin brother Red have just moved to New York. They are one of the more wealthy of the city and they are to start at the most exclusive school in Manhattan.

During this time the world is going crazy because some scientist said the world is going to end on March 17th (St Patricks day). With a new school and dealing with the pressures of high school and high society, Skye and her friends are out to enjoy life.

When Skye is asked to join the popular kids for a secret run, little did she know that she would see the future and it's not pretty.

I wasn't sure about the synopsis of this book to begin with. But boy did it suck me in I couldn't put it down, I finished it in one sitting.

The world building is fantastic skipping from modern day New York upper class to post apocolytic New York was seamless. The main character was really likeable while being part of the upper elite she still had values and ambitions unlike most of the girls at school who just wanted to marry a rich guy, shop and gossip all day.

Skye had to deal with some big Issues, the challenges of being a teenager and self harming while she only did it once I felt it was dealt with sensitively. But later on in the book Skye has to do some pretty grim things to
survive and I felt that the lack of remorse or feeling shown by her were unrealistic and I felt it could of been talked about a little more.

Overall I loved this book it totally took me by surprise. And I really like the world the Author created.

I always have a lot of admiration for an author who decides to try something new; sometimes it works perfectly other times it can result in a massive fail. I am pleased to add that The Secret Runners of New York falls into the latter category and was refreshingly original and hugely enjoyable. It's an all-action adventure with no unnecessary plot padding and the subject of bullying is broached in a sensitive way. I also appreciate that instead of just using time travel as the core concept there is actually meaning and a well-planned idea behind it; in other words, it has a purpose.

I found it gripping and very compelling right from the first page as it launches you headfirst into an immersive and well-written story, with a mostly nicely rendered character cast. Reilly adeptly moulds a creepy, ominous atmosphere of thrills and unpredictability that the young adult market, especially, will devour. I have to admit that it was a book with two distinct parts - the first reads a lot like Gossip Girl and shows the pettiness and brattiness of rich kids, not all of them, but it did feel a little stereotypical. The second was much better for me as it was a whole lot more brutal, apocalyptic and bloody.

It's a fun, easy, fast-paced read with a footing based primarily in the improbable; quite a large proportion of what happens is unlikely, but of course, that is the escapism I, and many others, often look for in fiction.

Many thanks to Hot Key Books for an ARC.

This is a really good read. It is packed full of action the whole way through. Bullying is taken to a whole new level. I thought the characters were great and the idea of time travel was brilliant. I nearly gave this book 5 stars but I thought that the ending was a bit rushed and more could have been written about it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Time travel with purpose. Action-packed, interesting characters and a concept that sounds credible means this all combines for a great read.
Long story short, in New York rumours abound that the world is going to end. Nobody is quite sure what will happen, but plans are made by those who can.
Skye and her brother have recently moved to the city. They slowly become acquainted with a very exclusive group of students - and as we draw closer to the group and work out their secret it is intriguing.
I was quite surprised by the premise of this. In parts it reminded me of The Thousandth Floor series, but with added bite.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to try a new writer.

With typical Reilly style, there's nothing wasted in waffle for this story. It's go from the start gripping the reader with the scene-set and it never calms down. It's a different world to mercenaries and helicopter gunships but no less a wild ride.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to preface this by saying that I am a HUGE Matthew Reilly fan. Have been for years. And I was therefore super excited for this book!

The trailers really worked to set up the book too - they gave a good hint of the atmosphere and the glimpses into the future. And the time travel element is classic MR - possibly Mayan temple portal? It could have come straight for the Jack West series, or even Temple! Hehe. I loved that, as much as a couple of the descriptions were a little off for a teen.

However, it did take a little too long to get there, and focussed too long on the high school life. I did like that part, don’t get me wrong, but it made the transition between the two parts a little clunky. The first part is very Gossip Girl-esque, and I think it felt a little heavy handed in places. And while Reilly has said it’s not intended specifically for the YA market, given the age range of the characters, I think it could have used a little more attention to fit it to the audience.

That said , the bullying felt spot on, as did Skye’s fears. I also loved her relationship with Red, and would have liked a little more exploration into that.

When the action kicked in, I loved it. Future New York was just so creepy, and what they find in the future is so well done. There’s no way not to spoil that, so I’m leaving it there, but I loved it.

I also quite liked the concept of the world ending and the poor rising up. It did feel a little unlikely though, and I felt that it needed a little more to kick it all off - especially on a world wide scale.

Skye and Red are great characters, but a lot of the rest of the teens felt a little flat - Jenny felt two faced, and Misty a poorly disguised bully. And especially the adults - it felt a little like they’re ignored for plot, which is fine, but we need a better reason for all of them to be so rubbish haha. Except Skye’s dad, she doesn’t like any of them, and that rubbed off on me!

Overall I did really enjoy it, and bits are flat out great. I was a little let down on characters and the modern day parts (which is a shame as I usually love Reilly’s characters!) which is why I have rated it 3.5 stars. But it’s still a super easy and fun action read! And honestly, who doesn’t love time travel? ;)

I read YA from time to time to read things you don't often get in 'adult' books - a freer sense of adventure, time travel, young rich kids controlling their school etc. I like a bit of fantasy - time travel portals are also fun. This book however seemed to have everything in it. It was as busy as New York itself, where the book is set. Even underground, the city was chaotic. I guess that's because it was the end of the world after all, but still.

Skye and Red move to the city and it's there we meet the rich kids with more money than sense. Skye wants to get in with the in crowd. I think we can all remember characters like those in the book and how it felt to want to join in at anew school. There's a lot to identify with in that sense but you'll be grateful your school wasn't this bad. Thankfully I knew nobody like the girls in the book. It was fun to spend time with them though!

What I really liked was the portal into a tunnel which then led to a parallel New York. This was when things got good for me, but also very silly and farfetched. I do realise portals are fantasy but it didn't seem believable in the story.

Lots of fun but a bit too silly for me

"at the school where new girls go missing, I was the new girl"

* * * * 
4 / 5

The Secret Runners of New York got weirder and crazier as the book went on until it reached the heights of weirdness and then ended in an absolute bloodbath. It was awesome.

"It's a parallel New York of some kind"

Skye Rogers (aka Blue) and her brother Red are ordinary teenagers who move to Manhattan as rumours of the end of the world are building. This book is all about rich kids having rich kid drama and I love it. There's dresses and parties and an oncoming apocalypse and a fancy Manhattan school is plagued by missing girls. When Skye finally get into the "in crowd" with her brother she discovers a secret: one of the girls owns an ancient necklace and with it she can open a portal into a tunnel under a parallel New York. 

The Secret Runners of New York is like a weird mish mash of Gossip Girl and something more apocalyptic with a dash of time travel and it was totally weird but it also worked. It made the book feel very YA but also unique. Books like The Thousandth Floor are my guilty pleasure, full of drama and pettiness, and all of this is fun and then it gets faded out for the intrigue and the mystery of the tunnel and the New York that isn't quite right. And then after that it turns into a crazy bloodbath. 

This book takes a little bit of everything and mixes it all up and it really worked for me. I definitely recommend that people give this one a shot. 

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of The Secret Runners of New York

‘The Secret Runners of New York’ describes itself as ‘Mad Max’ meets ‘Gossip Girl’. If that sounds like a weird combination it’s because it is, and as a result the book doesn’t work at all. Mathew Reilly’s books have always been a bit silly, but this YA entry takes that to new levels with a completely nonsensical plot, unpleasant characters and some frankly offensive politics. It’s readable for the most part, but a complete waste of time.

This is a fantastic read. I read it in one go, I really wanted to find out what would happen. It's time travel that makes sense, which is rare in stories that try to explain things.

I did have a problem with the characters, though; with two exceptions, the rich kids were all horrible, sociopathic or stupid. I'm not sayng rich people can't have those problems, anyone can, but everyone in the group? Without anyone outside it seeming to know, apart from the professionals - who don't seem to be doing much about it? One of the exceptions outright stated it was because they were rich, so it comes off as more of a rant against rich people than anything else.

But the story itself was amazing, and really cleverly done. I'd definitely read more from this author or in this series if there were any.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher, Bonnier Zaffre, for providing me a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

There is a map of Central Park and there are a few other maps in the different parts of the book which I liked. I love a map. The first line hooked me in! It begins with a girl running for her life. What a great start. She is running through an empty New York which intrigued me.

Then it goes to a shy girl called Skye (Blue) who is starting a new school with her outgoing twin Alfred (red). This section of the book I did find boring and I didn't like some of the descriptions. A shirt was described as sexless which I've never heard used before. Anyway they are at a posh school so you read through a lot of the school politics and cliques. One rich white girl is basically the queen of the school and she also is a part of the Secret Runners club. The club runs through a different New York, the New York we see at the beginning. While all the school drama is happening there is also the threat of the gamma cloud, which could cause the human race to be wiped out and the day it all ends is, 17 March 2020. I liked the added element of a disaster and thought it made the book better. I also liked the mystery of the schools missing girls and I did guess it but I didn't get another twist about who the masked man was. The first half of the book was a little slow for me but as soon as Skye becomes a runner, the book picked up. I enjoyed the gamma cloud and the time travel and the mystery of the missing girls. The last half of the book was great, it was an adventure. The ending I thought was okay, I liked it but also felt there could have been more.

I'll be honest this book has a little of everything. It has romance, school drama, time travel, extinction event, creepiness, action and mystery.