The COUNTDOWN has started....
The last thing Kira Jordan expects is to awaken in the dark, handcuffed to a wall. Even worse, there is another person in the room also shackled... and that person is Rogan Ellis, a juvenile convicted for a mass slaying. Kira and Rogan have been thrown into a twisted, underground game where every challenge is timed and the viewing audience wants to see bloodshed. Can they learn to trust one another long enough to have a chance of surviving?
Michelle Rowen does a marvelous job at world building and character development in COUNTDOWN. The world of COUNTDOWN is dark and gritty, where technology and greed rule. True friendships appear rare as mistrust is rampant, even among so-called friends. I love the way Michelle Rowen takes two characters with shady pasts and allows them to rise above their current circumstances, showing the goodness of the human heart even amidst the threat of death. The use of the COUNTDOWN clock intensifies the pace, keeping this reader turning the pages long past my bedtime!
Readers should note that COUNTDOWN was originally published as an adult novel in 2008 and has been rewritten for Harlequin Teen. I read it in both incarnations and enjoyed it both times but I do think the overall concept works better as a young adult novel. COUNTDOWN doesn't appear to be part of a series but I hope we get to see more tales set in this world.
COUNTDOWN is a thrilling dystopian tale, from start to finish. The action accelerates as the story progresses, even as Kira and Rogan work together to unravel the mystery behind the competition. COUNTDOWN is one of those books I just couldn't put down! Highly recommend!
3 seconds left to live.
Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.
2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.
Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on
plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a
low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything.
Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the
notorious Rogan Ellis.
1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both
their lives depend on it.
Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious
exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly
grows and Rogan's secrets prove ever more deadly, Kira's
only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as
her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the
one trap she can't escape.
Game Over
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026