Bound together by the devastating consequences of a terrorist attack on a London market, teenagers Charlie and Nat appear at first to have much in common. But, as Charlie gets closer to Nat and his family, she begins to wonder if perhaps he knows more about the attack then he has let on. Split Second is a an action-packed thriller that shifts between the perspectives of its two main characters as their courage and their loyalties are tested to the limit. I have never been a huge fan of action novels but Sophie Mckenzie has never failed to keep me hooked on her series and SPLIT SECOND had me gripped from the very first chapter! SPLIT SECOND is split into three parts. Part One Investigation takes place six months after we read the events of the day of the attack. Part Two Initiation and Part Three Infiltration. You are thrown straight into the action and, without giving too much away, it doesn't stop. |
One of the things that I have always admired about Sophie Mckenzie's books is how realistic her characters are. Charlie and Nat are both just average teenagers who quickly manage to get tide up in things that should be way out of their league but they are driven by their emotions from the day of the attack. Charlie is a character that I could easily admire as she does not give up on what she believes and isn't prepared to let anyone stand in her way of doing what she thinks is right.
I love that Mckenzie writes in a way that there is no nonsense. She tells you what you have to know and there is no pages and pages on the description of a house looks like or the growth of a rose bush. If the house is pretty with rose bushes growing outside then that is what she tells you.
I guess I am kind of biased when it comes to Mckenzie's books as I love that they are set somewhere so close to home for me so makes the books so much more relatable. But with SPLIT SECOND it is more than that. It is set in London in the near future as the recession has hit everyone hard and politicians are hated for what they have done to the country. Food stands are set up at markets for free food for those who need it, and it is needed. People aren't shy to have to accept it as it is the state the country is in. The world is one that we could all live in and though this is what creates the action for the book, it is what keeps you on the edge of your seat as it could happen to any one of us tomorrow.
SPLIT SECOND is an easy read that I would defiantly recommend to YA lovers of any age. Yes, it is full of action but it is also about friendship and loss and love so it plead you not to let that side of it put you off picking up this book. I really did enjoy it!
I give Sophie Mckenzie's SPLIT SECOND 2 stars out of 3 as I would like to have seen a little of the romance, but as it is part of a series I do not doubt that that is something to watch out for in the next instalment, EVERY SECOND COUNTS.