Haywire (Haywire #1)

Review by Serena Yates, Rainbow Book Reviews

http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/haywire-haywire-1-by-aj-llewellyn-and-dj-manly-at-extasy-books

Can I just say wow? Even just reading the blurb made me shiver with dread (yeah, I know, I’m a bit of a wuss). The thought of suddenly facing strangers where you expected your closest family members had my hair stand on end. And it all starts with such a believable setting as well. I mean, most of us have been to amusement parks, waiting while other members of the family went on a ride. Naturally, we expect those same people to come off the ride as who got on.

So far, so realistic.

But as the plot develops, and I can’t say too much without spoiling the whole cleverly devised, twisty tale, things get “curiouser and curiouser”. Quickly followed by “scarier and scarier”, actually. I was glued to the pages as Jack tries to figure out what the heck is going on. Each new answer makes him ask another question, and the plot quickly thickens to the point where this story veers into the totally fantastical. Reading it the second time was just as exciting as the first – and it wasn’t because I had forgotten the story details. Knowing where everything ends, at least in this first volume, allowed me to focus on the story in a different way and pick up some of the hints and details I had missed on the first go-round.

If you like your stories to be “normal”, “realistic”, or “with sensible characters and situations” – don’t even think about reading this book. If, on the other hand, you have the courage to step off the ledge and jump in the deep end, this is the book for you. Trust me, it is waaay out there! As creative as it is scary!