The Secret Runners of New York
Author: Matthew Reilly
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Release Date: 26th March 2019
Pages: 352 pages
R.R.P: $16.99
The Windows on all the skyscrapers are smashed...
No power, no lights, no people...
It's a parallel New York of some kind.
THE END IS COMING
When Skye Rogers and her twin brother Red move to Manhattan, rumours of a coming global apocalypse are building. But this does not stop the young elite of New York from partying without a care.
CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?
And then suddenly Skye is invited to join an exclusive gang known as the Secret Runners of New York. But this is no ordinary clique- they have access to an underground portal that can transported the, into the future.
And what Skye discovers in the future is horrifying.
RUN! AS FAST AS YOU CAN!
As society crumbles, Skye and Red race to figure out how to use their knowledge to survive the impending annihilation, they soon discover that the chaotic end of the world is perfect for revenge...
My Review
Thoughts on the book: The Secret Runners of New York is the new time travelling apocalyptic standalone novel from number 1 bestselling author Matthew Reilly. Skye has always been close with her twin brother Red and that doesn't change when her family move to New York and they start at the prestigious school for the teenagers of the rich and famous, The Monmouth School, where money decides where you sit on the social ladder. But there is something happening at the school, three young girls have disappeared over the last three years leaving authorities stumpt with what could have happened to them as the only thing they seem to have in common is that they all attended Monmouth. Skye plans to fly under the radar but it seems her brother Red doesn't. He quickly makes friends with the popular crowd and soon they are barely seeing each other. But after one of the nights out with his friends he comes home all excited and tells her of this amazing run he did with these friends and how exhilarating it was. Skye decides she must see what these runs are all about and soon she is friends with these same rich and famous people who she swore she wouldn't be friends with. But after her first run she discovers why her brother finds this so exhilarating, it's the not knowing where you are in time. But with the world supposedly ending on May 21, 2011 can Skye use this time travelling tunnel to find out why the world ends or how she can possibly save her family from the devastating fate that awaits them?
A massive thank you to the team at Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me an amazingly wrapped ARC of The Secret Runners of New York by Matthew Reilly. Matthew Reilly is one of my favourite authors that I was introduced to by my sister. I have especially loved his Seven Ancient Wonders series and anticipate each new book released in the series. I love rubbing it in my sisters face when I get a copy of any of Matthew's books before they are published and I can read it before it's out. I send her messages with little passages that I have read and she hates me but I love that I can share my love of his books with her.
The Secret Runners of New York is labelled as a young adult novel and but according to Matthew Reilly it isn't a young adult novel, just a normal novel with teenage characters. To me I felt it was a YA novel for Matthew's writing as it was very subdued to his normal writing when it comes to the dramatics of what happens in the corresponding New York future timeline. Matthew Reilly is known for his fantastic fight scenes that he seems to write effortlessly and I certainly missed those big scenes within this book but it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. You really can't beat a Matthew Reilly novel.
I adored that we had two new concepts with The Secret Runners of New York that we haven't really had before with Matthew's writing and they were the timetravelling aspect and that our main character was a female. I haven't read too many timetravelling novels as they don't really interest me too much but with this book I felt it was written that fluently that I didn't really even realise that I was reading a time travel novel. It was thrown in there so effortlessly that I was surprised when it was mentioned and then it just made the novel even better. The concept that he used for his timetravelling is one that I haven't heard from before, and won't give away here because you absolutely must read this book, but it was a refreshing one and one that you properly would think of. The fact that we went from a world where the rich and famous are in charge to a post apocalyptic world where they have basically all perished because people knew that money meant nothing in the end and it was t going to save you.
The other new concept, certainly to me, was that our main character voice was a female, Skye Rogers. I'm used to the strong military male main character that Matthew Reilly writes so strongly that it was quite refreshing to have a female point of view and one of a rich teenager that was very down to earth and didn't take things literally was quite refreshing. Skye was such a strong character that clearly had a past, which we learn about throughout the book, and likes bucking the trend which means she doesn't just sit on her bum and thinks everyone should just flock to her or that money grows on trees. She is inquisitive which is why she is one of the gang to actually explore the new world that is open to them despite it being scary and unexplored to most who have travelled. Skye is determined to find out what happens when the world is supposed to end and what the aftermath is and how she and her family can survive. I hope we can seem more of Skye in future novels despite this being a standalone novel.
The Secret Runners of New York is a action packed, twist turning, suprising novel who any Matthew Reilly fan will love and will open the young adult world to his writing. Go and grab yourself a copy now! It's a must read!
Rating:4/5
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