bookworm_94's Reviews (351)

One of a kind, mind-blowing and heart-warming story about dedication, duty, guilt, loyalty, love… and hope; about what makes us human and what makes us monsters; about family and blood and about a bond that is stronger than anything else in the world. Rob Thurman’s unique, bold and witty style of writing will captivate you, the fast-paced, action packed plot won’t allow you to catch your breath and the expression “one more chapter” will take on a whole new meaning while you join the Korsak brothers on their journey. Their adventure (while they are on the run from the Institute and the Russian Mafia) will bring a smile on your face and you won’t see the tears coming once you reach the very last pages.

Stefan Korsak’s life shattered into piece when he lost his younger brother while riding horses on the beach, nearby their family home. Even though ever since that fateful moment he’s been trying to put them back together, he’s never been able to do so because the most important piece has been missing for ten years – his brother Lukas. With a sheer determination and unshakable belief that Lukas is still out there, Stefan never gives up on searching for him even when their father – Anatoly Korsak - abandons both of them. Once one of the most powerful figures in the Russian mob and now only a fading memory of greatness, Anatoly is in hiding not only from the authorities, but from his own flesh and blood as well.

Despite the fact that Stefan had never wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, he realises that being a part of the Russian mob benefits his search for Lukas financially. Tirelessly he puts all of his effort, resources and energy into getting his brother back despite the years that have passed since Lukas’ abduction on the beach. When he finally finds him, however, Stefan is forced to face the fact that Lukas is not the same person that he remembers – different name, different personality, different memories… But there is one thing that is familiar about this seventeen-year-old boy that Stefan saves – his eyes, one green, one blue - the same eyes his brother had.

Even though Michael tries to tell him that there is a very simple explanation about his bicolour eyes, Stefan refuses to listen because this is the only thing that he has left from Lukas and he clutches to it like a drowning man at a straw. Even though Michael is adamant that this is one big misunderstanding and he is not the long-lost brother that Stefan is so desperate to find, Stefan never stops believing that he has finally, after all those years, found Lukas. He gives him the nickname Misha, which symbolises Michael’s freedom to create his own personality and to find out who he really is while Stefan teaches him to embrace the world that he has been denied the right to live in for so long.

Told from Stefan’s POV, it is impossible not to feel the pain of his loss while reading through the lines, the guilt that suffocates him and the hope that gives his life meaning when he is eventually able to break Misha out of Institute. The connection that he builds with Misha while on the road is deep, emotional and real. There is no doubt how easy it is to relate to Stefan’s feelings and before you know it, they are your own; and before you know it, you are in love with that kid, who has ‘theoretical’ knowledge about everything and demolishes junk food like there is a black hole in his stomach. And before you know it, you reach the ending, which makes a perfect sense (of course), but you wish it didn’t and you don’t want to believe it, and just like Stefan you choose to accept what you know is true in your heart, not in your head.

Chimera was the first book, written by Rob Thurman, which I stumbled across quite some time ago and the only book in my personal library, which I have re-read over and over and over again (and which I will keep going back to). There is something about it that gets me every single time and this is why I love it so much. Personally, I like the fact that the sci-fi element is not overwhelming and does not take down the brothers’ relationship from the pedestal, which I believe is the core element and the heart of Chimera. I completely respect the balance, which Thurman has created and for me it works incredibly well.

If you are a fan of famous masterpieces, such as The Terminator, Hunger Games, Maze Runner and Star Wars, I believe you would find Kenneth Thomas’ sci-fi sequel right up your alley. VanWest: The Past is a well-executed dystopian novel, which takes us to the year 3000 and skilfully paints a future that humanity could be highly likely to face.

So, make yourself comfortable in your seat, buckle up and prepare to have your mind blown away! The Prologue reveals a creative, yet scary believable futuristic world, sets the tone of the book and unlocks your imagination. From the very beginning you will find yourself holding your breath while turning the pages and your heart – beating with excitement while jumping the lines.

The protagonist – Captain VanWest, an Enforcer for the Universal Council, is introduced as soon as you dive into the story. As he is battling impossible odds to win the Universal Red and Blue Games, his qualities to be a strong protagonist, who is capable of driving the story further, emerge - loyal, honest, duty focused, able to think fast on his feet and incredibly brave. Those insights of VanWest’s personality that you will soon encounter effortlessly create the image of a worthy character to be the main star of this exciting show.

Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise when VanWest overcomes the third challenge against all odd and wins the Universal Red and Blue Games. I dare say this is only the beginning! Just when you think you could slow down and catch your breath, VanWest grabs your wrist and drags you through a series of action-based events that happen one after another, faster than I can snap my fingers.

You will have the honours to join him on an exciting time travel adventure back to 1951 in Paris – a world and a time he is completely unfamiliar with. You will witness his undeniable ability to blend in with the crowd and you will be amazed by his arsenal of skills that help him execute a mission, assigned to him by the Universal Council. His task is to stop Utopian agents, who go back in time in order to stop the development of CERN and thus hoping to change the course of the next ten centuries

The action and the details that are soaking the pages make Kenneth Thompson’s sci-fi work highly compelling, however, I personally wouldn’t have found it that enjoyable if it wasn’t for the emotional involvement that the plot presents later on. Throughout his adventure, VanWest’s character undergoes a significant development – his loyalty shifts 180° (from the Universal Council to the rebels and the Utopian leader Prof. VonHelman, AKA "Mad Newton" and his cause) and he shares mutual feelings of love and devotion with his childhood friend Iris VonHelmann, Mad Newton’s daughter.

Living up to all expectations of the sci-fi genre VanWest: The Past will keep you on your toes, guessing, anticipating, anxious to find out what happens 2-3 chapters down the line and before you know it, you will find yourself reading the last page over and over again, impatient to dive into volume two and re-join VanWest on his exciting quest.

As somebody, who doesn’t usually enjoy the sci-fi genre I was pleasantly surprised by the in-depth complex plot and the details that Kennet Thomas described (weapons, armour, vehicles, technology, etc.). While reading I couldn’t help but think that the plot has an undeniable potential to be transformed into a TV adaptation! Wouldn’t it be great to watch VanWest and his newly formed allies on the big screen as they rebels against the system while fighting to stay alive?

If you’ve read the first book from Kennet Thomas’ modern dystopian trilogy, then you will most likely want to get your hands on his second book: VanWest: The Present… immediately! The Past certainly set the bar high and you might find yourself expecting more from Kenneth Thomas than you thought you would be. Worry not - you are in luck as the continuation of VanWest’s adventures do not disappoints in any way. Just like Thomas’ first book, The Present will shake you with buzz and excitement, and I guarantee you will not be able to put it down until you satisfy your curiosity and read it from cover to cover!

The Prologue’s purpose is to summarize the main events that happen in the first book and remind the readers of the most important change in VanWest’s life, which led him here – on a mission to fly to Mars at the beginning of the second book. Even though it is a detailed prologue and I can critique it in no way whatsoever, I would still recommend that you read the first book from the trilogy in order to understand the world and the characters the best way possible.

Even though The Present doesn’t take you on an adventurous jump through time like The Past does, it does have its unique features. It not only presents some new and exciting characters (such as Method A – an underground warlord), but it also allows you to get to know them, and the returning ones as well, on a deeper level. Unlike the first book, which is told solely from VanWest’s perspective, in the second book Thomas takes a different approach and changes POVs. By doing this the author gives his other characters their own unique voices as well. This particular technique benefits to the story because it shakes it up and makes it even more entertaining and intriguing.

Another thing that you might enjoy is how The Present gradually develops VanWest as a character. While in the first book we were only introduced to his attractive personality and an envious ability to keep a clear head, the second book reveals his background and his past that makes him such a complex and relatable character. The author uses flashbacks to show us VanWest’s memories of his early Enforcer training as a clone, programmed and brainwashed by the Universal Council to serve them and their cause.

Under the spotlight VanWest will be forced to confront his own dark past in order to be victorious in his quest against the University Council. This is the main reason why he travels to the Red planet (an empty and uninhabited place), which builds tension and makes you eager to find out what comes next. Thomas’ second novel doesn’t lack action scenes and just like the first one exceeds at making you hungry for more.

The plot of The Present is thickened with a lot of intrigues, drama, alliances forming and breaking with the speed of a lightning, structured engaging dialogue and plot twists that will make you refuse to blink (otherwise you might miss something important)! Personally, I can’t wait to find out what the future holds for VanWest and his comrades! I am pretty excited about the third book from the trilogy (expected to be published in 2023).

This is the first book by Jane Casey that I have ever read and I can honestly say that I did thoroughly enjoy it. Not only did I love the story in general, but I also found the idea behind it interesting and captivating. Casey’s novel reveals what happens to a family after a child goes missing and is never found; how such a tragedy eats every relationship in this family from the inside until they rot and decompose.

Life has not been kind to Sarah Finch. She is a young school teacher, who lives with her mother in her childhood home and carries an enormous amount of grief on her shoulders. She is a woman, who has had her fair share of loss and tragedy in her life. In 1992, when Sarah was only eight years old, her older brother – Charlie – disappeared without a trace. Being the last person who had seen Charlie alive, Sarah was the police’s biggest hope for anything that could help them find Charlie. Unfortunately, they didn’t believe her claim that she’d fallen asleep on the grass outside their house and did not see where Charlie went or who took him.

Fifteen years have passed since Charlie’s disappearance and Sarah Finch is trying to deal with the bad hand that has been dealt to her – she has a job, which doesn’t completely satisfy her and lives in a place, which she is not particularly fond of, but she sacrifices her happiness in order to take care of her mother, because she feels responsible to fulfil her duty of a daughter. While she is out jogging in the woods she stumbles across the dead body of Jenny Shepherd – a twelve-year-old girl, Sarah’s student. Jenny disappears a few days before Sarah discovers her body and the police investigation, which Sarah continues to be a part of one way or another, brings back old memories and opens old wounds.

As the story progresses we follow the search for Jenny’s killer through Sarah’s eyes as she tries to deal with her own personal issues – an alcoholic mother; a media attention that she neither welcomes, nor desires; a complicated relationship with one of the investigating officers – Andy Black; and even being the victim of a mugging. We also get to witness what Sarah’s childhood was like right after Charlie’s disappearance. The chapters, which present the first few hours, days and months after the family’s loss, told by young Sarah, gradually reveal the cracks that start to appear in a family when a tragedy like that strikes out of the blue. We are shown how the relationship between her parents falls apart slowly, but surely, which leads to her father’s death only a few years after the loss of her brother. After that Sarah is left alone with a mother, who is stuck in one place due to the lack of closure, and who turns into an empty, hollow shell over the years…

… until the investigation of Jenny Shepherd’s death finally gives them the answers that they have been longing for all those years. Even though the girl’s murder is not directly linked to Charlie’s disappearance, the two cases are connected by the one thing that they have in common – Sarah Finch. Even though Sarah faces more loss and pain throughout the course of the book, at the end she is finally granted the freedom that she deserves – to do whatever she wants with her own life, free from guilt, grief and family responsibilities.

I would have given the book five stars, because I believe that it deserves it, however there were some chapters throughout the book that felt prolonged, slightly uneventful and it felt like they were slowing down the development of the story. Personally, I felt that the story would have benefitted from a slightly faster pace, which would have made it even more appealing and breath-taking.

I am looking forward to reading other books by Jane Casey, because The Missing proved to me that she is more than capable of writing fascinating crime fiction with a hidden, unexpected twist at the end. After all, aren’t those the best?