Status
Available
Call number
Publication
G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages
338
Description
Mystery. Suspense. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML:This action-packed second book in international bestseller Harlan Coben�s Mickey Bolitar young adult series follows Mickey as he continues to hunt for clues about the Abeona Shelter and the mysterious death of his father�all while trying to navigate the challenges of a new high school. When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey and his loyal new friends�sharp-witted Ema and the adorkably charming Spoon�find themselves at the center of a terrifying mystery involving the shooting of their classmate Rachel. Now, not only does Mickey need to keep himself and his friends safe from the Butcher of Lodz, but he needs to figure out who shot Rachel�no matter what it takes. Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, but with danger just seconds away, it is going to take all of his determination and help from his friends to protect the people he loves, even if he does not know who�or what�he is protecting them from. From Kirkus Reviews: �Coben deftly weaves�multiple plot threads into a compelling whole. An involving thriller that moves like lightning.�.… (more)
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-09-18
Physical description
338 p.; 8.5 inches
ISBN
9780399256516
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User reviews
LibraryThing member she_climber
I was initially lost in the book since it picks up the morning after the last book left off, which I read a year ago and plenty of books in the meantime. So I was struggling through the first few chapters racking my brain trying to remember what happened previously. I'm still not sure I ever got
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everything that I should have from the first book, but this story took off and I was hanging on for the thrill ride. Lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed this story and it's characters: I couldn't stop listening. Huge lead in for the next book, I just hope that Harlan helps out his adult readers with not such great memorys as his YA crowd with a little more background next time. Show Less
LibraryThing member khiemstra631
Here Coben presents the second in the Mickey Bolitar series, which takes places less than a week later in Mickey's life after the first book. This makes for a rather odd sensation for the reader, or so I thought. However, if Coben wants to keep the series focused on Mickey while he's in high school
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then it is a device that should serve him well. In this one, Mickey's friend Rachel's mother is murdered, and Rachel is injured by a bullet that grazes her skull. Mickey, Ema and Spoon set out to find who who shot Rachel and her mother. In the midst of this Mickey has his tryout for the high school basketball team, and the Bat Lady's house burns down. Uncle Myron and Mickey continue to build their prickly relationship. As a middle-aged person, what struck me about the book was how much energy Mickey has and how invincible he believes he is. Even when horrible things happen to his closest friends, he cannot stop trying to find out answers while paying no regard to his personal safety. In this, Coben does a good job of how teenagers seem to think. Teens will enjoy and so will fans of Myron Bolitar, who is doing his best to guide his teenage nephew. Show Less
LibraryThing member alsparks324
In this sequel to Shelter, Mickey has to solve the mystery of why his friend was shot in a home invasion while her mother was killed. Mickey is still trying to unravel the mystery of his father's death and past while facing danger and challenges in this latest turn of events. All the while he is
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trying to fit in to his new high school and make the basketball team. Another fast moving thriller with many twists and turns. Mickey has to decide whether or not to share what he finds about the shooting/murder with his friend. Show Less
LibraryThing member jlsimon7
Some YA books are a lot of fun for adults, this series is definitely not my cup of tea. I like Harlan Coben, and even wondered if the genre classification was a mistake. It wasn't. This might not even should be classified as YA, more like children's reading really. I'm not saying it was a bad book,
I would definitely recommend this book to young readers that enjoy mystery. It would probably appeal to young readers that found the adventure aspect of the Harry Potter series. Good luck, and enjoy.
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just that I think it would satisfy the minds of middle school age children more than say anyone over 13. The connection with Myron Boltair was another thing that got my interest and caused me to try this series, but it's just not a strong enough connection to get me to go beyond the second book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book to young readers that enjoy mystery. It would probably appeal to young readers that found the adventure aspect of the Harry Potter series. Good luck, and enjoy.
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LibraryThing member cygnet81
This picks up right where the first Mickey Bolitar book leaves off and leaves a cliff hanger to introduce book number 3.
LibraryThing member shannon.dolgos
Having rescued Ashley from an unsavory fate, and having to let her disappear for her safety and theirs, Mickey, Ema, Spoon, and Rachel return to their normal teenage age lives...except for the fact that none of them feel as if it is over...and, of course, there is that haunting question, is my Dad
When the police come pounding on his door, Mickey is alarmed to find out that his friend Rachel has been shot, and her mother has been murdered. Once again, Mickey, Ema, and Spoon set out to find out what happened and who was the shooter.
Their evidence suggests that Rachel's Dad has secrets that he doesn't want revealed...
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still alive?When the police come pounding on his door, Mickey is alarmed to find out that his friend Rachel has been shot, and her mother has been murdered. Once again, Mickey, Ema, and Spoon set out to find out what happened and who was the shooter.
Their evidence suggests that Rachel's Dad has secrets that he doesn't want revealed...
Show Less
LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM
4.5 Stars I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book in the Mickey Bolitar Series. Some of the humour you expect from the Myron Bolitar books was more evident in this book and you knew the characters better. I also think Myron had a bigger presence in this book and Mickey was not so against
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Myron in this book, so he became a much more likeable character. I really enjoyed the book and it set the book up for (the so far) last book in the series. If anything it has more a feel of a Trilogy than a series. The book was left on a bit of a cliffhanger so I intend to move straightaway onto book 3 where we might finally find out whether Mickey's father is dead or alive. I certainly wouldn't read this series before finishing book 10 in the Myron Bolitar Series and might be best read before book 11 : Home. Show Less
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
Not quite as humorous as "Shelter" but still an enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member book_zone
This review first appeared on The Book Zone(For Boys) blog
Seconds Away picks up straight after the events of Shelter, and you really have to have read the first book in the series for this one to make a great deal of sense. For those of you who read Shelter a year ago and may have forgotten key
I know that there have been some readers who were left a little confused at the end of Shelter, as there seemed to be two very different elements to it. For the most part it was a gritty crime thriller, with Mickey Bolitar and his new friends being drawn into a thrilling and deadly mystery rooted firmly in modern crime. However, there also seemed to be something of a supernatural element to the series spanning story arc, an element that seemed more than a little out of place in a straight crime story. Ninety year old ex Nazis who still look young, anybody? In Seconds Away Coben gradually reveals more information behind this element and by the end readers will have a much better understanding of this, and like me they will also be just as hungry for the next instalment.
As with Shelter then there are two stories going on in this sequel. There is the standalone element - Mickey's friend Rachel is injured and her mother killed in a shooting at her house, and Mickey, Ema and Spoon set out to solve the mystery - and then there is the greater mystery: that surrounding Mickey's life, the death of his father, the Bat Lady, the Butcher of Lodz and the Abeona Shelter. Coben uses all of his writing experience and expertise to craft a story that has you racing through the pages, desperate to get to the solution to both mysteries. And there is no point second guessing either - the plot twists and turns like an Alpine giant slalom, and just as you think you have guessed 'whodunnit', somthing else is revealed and you find yourself staring open mouthed as the letters W.R.O.N.G. flash teasingly through your brain.
Crime is a genre that has huge adult appeal, with book stores having ranks of shelves dedicated to authors of these books. However, it is only in the last eighteen months or so that it has crossed over to the YA market, with the likes of Harlan Coben, Colin Mulhern, Niall Leonard and Peter C*cks writing for this younger age group. I know some of the boys at school much prefer these kind of stories that are grounded in a realism that they can relate to, as opposed to fantasy and horror stories.
Seconds Away picks up straight after the events of Shelter, and you really have to have read the first book in the series for this one to make a great deal of sense. For those of you who read Shelter a year ago and may have forgotten key
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elements of the story have no fear - Coben cleverly weaves enough reminders into the opening chapters to refresh your mind of the events in that first book, and also the bombshell he dropped at the close of the book that has left fans begging for more ever since.I know that there have been some readers who were left a little confused at the end of Shelter, as there seemed to be two very different elements to it. For the most part it was a gritty crime thriller, with Mickey Bolitar and his new friends being drawn into a thrilling and deadly mystery rooted firmly in modern crime. However, there also seemed to be something of a supernatural element to the series spanning story arc, an element that seemed more than a little out of place in a straight crime story. Ninety year old ex Nazis who still look young, anybody? In Seconds Away Coben gradually reveals more information behind this element and by the end readers will have a much better understanding of this, and like me they will also be just as hungry for the next instalment.
As with Shelter then there are two stories going on in this sequel. There is the standalone element - Mickey's friend Rachel is injured and her mother killed in a shooting at her house, and Mickey, Ema and Spoon set out to solve the mystery - and then there is the greater mystery: that surrounding Mickey's life, the death of his father, the Bat Lady, the Butcher of Lodz and the Abeona Shelter. Coben uses all of his writing experience and expertise to craft a story that has you racing through the pages, desperate to get to the solution to both mysteries. And there is no point second guessing either - the plot twists and turns like an Alpine giant slalom, and just as you think you have guessed 'whodunnit', somthing else is revealed and you find yourself staring open mouthed as the letters W.R.O.N.G. flash teasingly through your brain.
Crime is a genre that has huge adult appeal, with book stores having ranks of shelves dedicated to authors of these books. However, it is only in the last eighteen months or so that it has crossed over to the YA market, with the likes of Harlan Coben, Colin Mulhern, Niall Leonard and Peter C*cks writing for this younger age group. I know some of the boys at school much prefer these kind of stories that are grounded in a realism that they can relate to, as opposed to fantasy and horror stories.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tsmom1219
Read both books in one evening. Can't wait for book 3. More Spoon please! Recommended for fans of BTVS because the dynamic between the main characters is similar, although without the supernatural Big Bads.
Awards
Agatha Award (Nominee — 2012)
Call number
YA A Cob