Book Review: Shelter Me

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay

Released: January 26, 2009

Publisher: MTV Books
Pages: 288
Rating: 4 stars

Maggie Leigh just wants to be a normal teenager, but when German bombs tear apart London during World War II, her ultra-religious mother sees the destruction as divine punishment. She sends Maggie to a remote boarding school in coastal Wales, supposedly to keep her safe, but also to keep her in line. The school is creepy, the headmistress is a lunatic, and the students range from spoiled rich girls to speechless trauma victims. But when a tragic accident happens on the beach, Maggie and three friends are forced to flee the school, plunging into the nightmarish world of Europe during wartime. Now every decision Maggie makes is fraught with danger, and living to see another day depends on how quickly she can think and act...and how far she's willing to go.

Shelter Me is a keep-you-on-your-toes-from-beginning-to-end kind of book. There were numerous moments where I was just totally flabbergasted. This is the first book to completely shock me like that!

Maggie is a very determined girl, but her mom believes she's corrupted, so she sends her off to a boarding school in Wales. But strange things are happening at the school, so Maggie and a couple friends leave to travel somewhere else. Being in the middle of a war, it isn't the best idea for girls to be wandering around alone, especially after dark with no money, no food, and no way to defend themselves. They encounter all kinds of problems, some more dangerous than others, and I was on the edge wondering if that would be the end of the road for them.

McAulay really knows how to write a killer novel - with action and never ending suspense!!

Book Review: Oblivion Road

Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay

Released: November 13, 2007

Publisher: MTV Books
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 stars

Five stranded teenagers must battle for their lives against a group of escaped convicts, and each other, in this shocking survival thriller from the author of Bad Girls and Lost Summer.

Courtney Stanton thinks she's on just another ski trip with her friends -- until a horrific car accident strands them all on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. Frightened but alive, Courtney and her companions discover an abandoned vehicle nearby, and seek help. But the vehicle turns out to be a prison van, with the inmates missing, and the guard's dead body in the front seat.

Soon after, a stumbling figure emerges from the snow, a handcuffed refugee from the van. He says he's been in prison for selling meth, but that he once served in the army. Dare they trust him? He pleads innocence about the guard's murder, warns them about the other fugitives, and promises he will help guide them out of the wilderness. But as the group begins a nightmare trek across the frozen landscape, they start to get the feeling he hasn't told them the entire truth, and someone -- or something -- is secretly watching their every move.

I have been wanting to read this for awhile now and was excited when I finally got the chance to. I Loved it! This is one book that won't disappoint it's readers. There are surprises from beginning to end.

It was extremely hard for me to put down. It seemed as though every time I turned the page, another unexpected twist would occur. I couldn't figure out what would happen to the teens, so I was on the edge the whole time. Honestly, it would totally suck to be caught in a situation like that, especially when you add some escape convicts on top of that...Yikes!!

Courtney and Reyna are two very brave and courageous girls. They never gave up, even after everything they had to endure. Their will to survive was unbreakable.

Packed with action, mystery, and suspence, this is a must read novel!