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ClareR (5854 KP) rated The Last Hour in Books

Mar 28, 2018

The Last Hour

Harry Sidebottom | 2018 | Thriller

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A Roman 24!!

That was one crazy ride from start to finish! The author has said that it's a historical take on 24 (the TV show with Jack Bauer/ Kiefer Sutherland), and he isn't wrong. But where I got fed up with the TV show, this kept my attention from start to finish. The attention to historical detail is so good (you can tell that the author is an academic - he knows how to do his research!), and sitting in my living room reading the book, I was transported to ancient Rome with all the sights and smells (my drains work just fine, thank you!).
The main character, Ballista is instantly likeable. A man with morals and honour, he discovers a plot to assassinate the Emperor that runs deep in the political and military world of Rome. He, and he alone, is the one to stop the assassination of his friend, the Emperor Gallienus. Rightly or wrongly, whether he agrees with the way that Gallienus runs the Empire or not, he is duty bound to save him - if only to save the lives of his wife and children.
I would love to be able to pick out and describe a favourite part of the book, but that comes well in to the second half (and I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone else!). I haven't read a book with quite so much action in a long time. There were some real 'heart in mouth' sections, and great character building (how Harry Sidebottom found the time and space to do that, well! I suppose that's why he writes and I don't!).
I will be on the look out for more of the authors books!
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this book!

Kudos

Hazel (1853 KP) rated The One Safe Place in Books

Dec 7, 2018

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Review of an uncorrected bound manuscript.
The One Safe Place is a gripping tale by Tania Unsworth aimed at older children, although completely enjoyable by teens and adults too. Written in the third person and set in the not so distant future, we follow Devin’s story.

In the future the climate has changed, the temperature has risen and rain is very rare. The opening scene reveals Devin, a young boy, on a farm, digging a grave to bury his grandfather who has recently died (presumably of old age and not something sinister). Devin, now alone, decides to head to the city, a place he has never visited, in order to find some help for the farm. The problem is he has never once left the farm and knows nothing of the real world. Here he meets Kit, a young girl on her own living on the roof of a building, and decides to tag along with her. But then they meet Roman who promises them a safe home. Although skeptical, they decide to trust him and thus they arrive at the Gabriel H. Penn Home For Childhood. The place is amazing and has everything a child could want: toys, games, clothes, individual bedrooms, a swimming pool, and most importantly, food and drink. So why are all the other children walking around in limbo, uninterested in everything around them?

Devin, with the help of his friends, and his synesthesia, soon discovers and pieces together what is wrong about the home. The pace picks up as they plan their escape leading to the exciting ending.

The One Safe Place is a book young readers will love. Well what child would not love a book where the children outsmart the adults?