Download PDF The Secret Runners of New York eBook Matthew Reilly

Product details File Size 907 KB Print Length 266 pages Publisher Hot Key Books (March 26, 2019) Publication Date March 26, 2019 Sold by  Digital Services LLC Language English ASIN B07HJ97H35

The Secret Runners of New York eBook Matthew Reilly Reviews

• Reilly only writes gripping, exciting books, and this is no exception. I thought it works be a short stories but was longer than expected. As always the people is "real" although what happens to them is not (but who knows? 😉). I enjoyed it a lot. But I miss Scarecrow!!!
• New, refreshing, imaginative, topical and such a brilliant read. It took one day, I didn’t want it to stop, wish there would have been a way to create a series from this first book. Really enjoyed the realness of it, leading to such possibilities of a catastrophic future. Characters are strong and complex with interesting personalities.
• Loved this book..love this author..read all his books and waiting for the next one..#1 best author..
• Fulll marks for the storyline.
• I adore Matthew Reilly’s books - he’s the only author I’ll buy in hardback - and love action thrillers, time travel and post apocalyptic stories, so why only 3 stars? Well unfortunately I’m just too old for YA fiction now, and this book spends way too long in Rich Mean Girl World before the action gets going, and I don’t think Reilly pulls off first person young female narrator. It was a brave move, and I admire the attempt, but if you don’t believe in the central character, you can’t love their story.
  
  Skye Rogers and her twin brother Red start at an exclusive New York school when they have to move in with their beauty queen mother and her wealthy second husband. Red is immediately admitted to the popular crowd, but shy Skye takes longer to be accepted, but when she is, the shallow party crowd show her their favourite trick - an ancient Mayan time travel portal underneath Central Park which takes them to a very different, scary, post apocalyptic version of the city. With the world about to end from a radiation cloud, their trips take on a new importance, but what happened to the missing New Girls, and who is waiting for them on the other side?
  
  The main problem here was the 150 pages of High School angst and b-ness before very much happens - it’s only a 328 page book. We are treated to Skye’s observations on her peers, all two-dimensional stereotypes obsessed with gossip and shopping, but she’s still thrilled to finally join their clique. She’s pretty mean herself, about anyone she doesn’t perceive as her intellectual equal, even her own mother, and is just as shallow as the rest when it comes to the hot Cool Boy.
  I also struggled with the clumsy class war politics, a very rich Australian author’s view of the American Super rich getting what he thinks they deserve.
  
  Once the adventure part starts, I raced through it like every other MR novel, enjoying the geeky time travel twists and cheering as the baddies come to gruesome ends. The ending worked well and while there’s a hint in the After-Interview that Skye may be back, this is actually a complete story (although if there is another book we could do we more rationale for how the gems, portals and rules of time travel work - the age limit was a particularly nonsensical element.
  
  Overall, a fun easy read which should appeal to new young fans as an introduction to an author who’s a brilliantly imaginative storyteller, just obviously doesn’t know many teenage girls.
• Twin siblings, Skye and Red Rogers had no choice but to move to Manhattan when their father became unable to care for them, (plus an incident from Skye’s past had bearing on the decision) but to move in with their mother and step-father was not what Skye wished for. She and her mother had never seen eye to eye; but going to a new high school was even worse to comprehend. Red immediately slotted in with the cool kids – that was his way – but Skye was awkward and uncomfortable. It was Jenny who made the first move toward Skye. But Misty and her friends were the elite – nasty, intimidating, manipulative – would Skye ever fit in? And did she even want to?
  
  When Skye was invited to join a group called the Secret Runners of New York, she had no idea what she was in for. The talk of a global apocalypse had been on everyone’s lips for some time, but no one could quite believe it. Until the group headed underground and through a portal to the future. Shocking was a mild way of looking at it – could they change the future? The thought of what was to come sent shivers down their spines…
  
  The Secret Runners of New York – wow! I was enthralled! Aussie author Matthew Reilly has really hit the ball out of the park with this one. Centred around a group of young, elite, rich socialite teenagers who had no care for anyone but themselves – then along came Skye and Red. The ensuing story was in turn captivating, horrifying, breathtaking and ghastly; I thoroughly enjoyed it! Highly recommended.
• I’ve been listening to the audiobook but at chapter 17 I’m giving up.
  Firstly the narrators voice is SO annoying. It’s too....perky and animated and high pitched.
  Secondly - the characters - especially the girls - are straight out of a 1980’s “mean girls” movie. Rich, spoiled and nasty. I swear this is where the author got his impression of what teen girls are like.
  The stereotypical heroine “awkward” girl makes it into the popular clique by helping out the head mean girl who is crying in the toilet because an unexpected period has ruined her gym shorts and she fears the merciless teasing of her “friends”.
  Really Matthew? This might be the way girls used to be portrayed years ago but I’m pretty sure young women today have moved passed that - if it was ever true.
  The book might improve once the actual main story kicks in - but it’s taking too long and I’ve pulled enough hair out. If I ever give it another go - I’m reading it myself.
  I love Matthews other books - I’ve read or listened to them all.
  His take on Young Adult fiction just isn’t for me.