Review: The Chain

The Chain by Adrian McKinty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an exciting, unique, fast-paced ride this was!

Parents, prepare to have your hearts tested.

The Lowdown: Kylie has been kidnapped, and the only way Rachel can get her back is if she kidnaps someone else's kid. And then that someone kidnaps someone else's kid. Etc. Yikes.

This is dark stuff. This is a story about a mama bear who got poked and is now rampaging through 350-odd pages doing whatever it takes to get her cub back. I approve. I mean, not so much the kidnapping, or the threats of violence, or the actual violence ... I mean that's kind of the point though, isn't it? To witness someone doing this atrocious stuff and to think, I totally get it. You go, girl.

Strap in for a wild, immoral ride where you'll constantly be asking yourself: How far would I go to protect someone I love?

Super clever writing, here. This is well thought out and brilliantly edited so that it is concise, fast-paced and contains everything you need to keep you hanging on while leaking the vital info that will have you figuring things out at exactly the intended pace. I LOVED IT.

The premise is unlike anything I've read before but the depth of character is what makes it truly successful. You're there sharing the anxiety with Rachel, and with Pete, who's trying to do the right thing but also has his own issues getting in his way. It's gut-wrenching to feel on their behalves and the connection to them is vital to making this story work.

I'm not a parent but my maternal instinct still had me rooting for Rachel and yes, supporting her in her criminal activity. It made me feel both protective of my non-existent children AND like a terrible human being. Nice. So good luck to those of you who are parents and have to experience this novel with your own child/ren in mind and the extent you'll go to for them.

'It's all for family, isn't it? Everything is for family. Even an imbecile knows you don't get between a grizzly-bear mama and her cub.' *

*I won an uncorrected proof copy and, as such, direct quote may differ.

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