“Eric—Mom and Dad are gone. I don’t know what happened, but I’m going to find out.”
Eric might not be getting along with his family—or anyone else, for that matter—but he’s pretty sure a boarding school in another country isn’t the answer. Skilled in parkour, running helps him deal. So be it, he decides. Do the time and get out. Flow like water. But when he gets a cryptic message from his brother telling him their parents have been abducted, and then his brother disappears, he realises they weren’t punishing him, they were hiding him. To find them, Eric has to discover the secrets of his parents’ research, but the conspiracy he uncovers threatens more than just his family. With help from unlikely new friends, a hack-first-ask-questions-later approach to computers, and a dangerous plan, he soon learns that some secrets don’t want to be found, and others have a way of revealing themselves at all the wrong times.
I received a copy via NetGalley for an honest review. No compensation was given for this review and everything that follows is my opinion.
Hit the Ground Running makes me think of an awesome action movie. The story hits it off fast and doesn’t really stop until the characters have found the time to relax. Even then, we have a cliffhanger for the second book.
There is a need for suspension of disbelief when reading this book. You need to have an Indiana Jones like mind. Try to believe in the supernatural and believe that a teenager could have a globetrotting lifestyle before being sequestered into a private school in Canada. This is important because Eric has some interesting stories that would make you wonder if he’s just trying to get attention. And, there is an element of the supernatural in the book.
However, it isn’t the supernatural that is the main focus. It is a boy trying to find the rest of his family and running away from the bad guys who are out to get him. The action and answers are there, but lead to only more questions.
The book has a lot of chapters and if that turns you off, it shouldn’t. There is plenty of action from Parkour to some cool, and unbelievable, tech work. This book is like a thriller meets Indiana Jones and had a teenage child.
The characters are interesting as well. I found myself laughing at Seth and Lakey’s comments and I enjoyed Tess and Eric’s chemistry. There was enough character background to grow a bit of a relationship between characters and reader. Though I couldn’t personally relate to the characters, I did root for them during the tough times.
In all, I do want to continue with the series. Especially with that epilogue. If the Bakker parents are meeting who I think they are meeting then this is getting deep!
Casia's Corner 