Began reading: 4.1.2017
Completed reading: 11.1.2017
Overall rating: 4 stars
Taylor and Sierra have been best friends or their whole lives. But Taylor's fed up. Why does Sierra always get what - and who - she wants? From kissing Taylor's crush to stealing the guy they both met online for herself, Sierra doesn't seem to notice when she hurts her friends.
So when Sierra says Jacob Jones is the one and asks her friends to cover for her while she goes to meet him for the first time, Taylor rolls her eyes.
But Sierra doesn’t come back when she said she would.
One day. Two days. Three . . .
What if Taylor’s worrying for nothing? What if Sierra’s just being Sierra, forgetting about everyone else to spend time with her new guy?
When Taylor finally tells Sierra’s mum that her daughter is missing, Taylor and her friends are thrown into a dark world they never even knew existed.
Can Taylor find Sierra’s abductor? Or should she be looking for a killer?
Risk by Fleur Ferris is a young adult, contemporary mystery novel that contains hints of romance. I was excited to get into this book because I thought that the blurb was relatable – the dangers of online chat rooms and being envious of a best friend. I wasn’t disappointed, and it became really emotional.
The book was well-written in terms of structure, pace and dialogue. I also liked the use of literary techniques to emphasise a point. There was depth and detail in the writing, which I appreciated. There were also some great quotes, including:
‘It seems to be self-indulgent to be upset about what could have been when Rachel is living with what is’ (p. 92).
Grief comes in huge waves. Having a bad feeling this morning is one thing, but not knowing still allowed a tiny slice of hope. I thought no knowing – the wondering, the waiting – was the worst thing ever. I was wrong. Knowing is far worse. The finality and brutality of it is like an axe through my heart (p. 124).
His eyes are haunted. I know the look; I see it in the mirror every day (p. 148).
‘Grief can make you see and feel things differently’ (p. 188).
Now that he has been caught, maybe my world will spin again (p. 258).
The plot dealt with contemporary and relevant issues, especially meeting up with people you have met online. This is an important issue that almost all teenagers face with social media. In my experience, I used Omegle to chat to strangers but I knew never to give out personal details or meet up with anyone. Nevertheless, I surprised to learn about proxy boxes, so I think that teenagers should read this book.
I liked how each character dealt with conflict and grief in different ways. It demonstrates that everyone tackles conflict and grief differently, making this plot and its characters more realistic and diverse. One of the more central lessons learnt from Taylor and her friends is to be accepting of how people deal with their grief – it might seem like they’re shutting you out, being moody or aloof, but they are trying to accept and live with the loss in their own way.
Again, the issues that were raised in this novel were obviously well-researched. Ferris’ experiences made the challenges and dialogue more realistic and detailed. The role of police and detectives appeared to be accurate, which I assume came from Ferris’ experience as a police officer. I don’t believe that I would have gotten the same authenticity if a writer just read about these figures, so I appreciate the accuracy.
The conclusion was realistic, as not everything ended with happily ever afters. It was very emotional, and a few of the characters still had issues to work on before returning to everyday life. For example, Rachel was still hurting but she was repairing her relationship with her husband and daughter. Although it was hinted that she and David would work things out, it didn’t explicitly happen in the book. It’s very refreshing to have a book that doesn’t necessarily finish with a happily ever after.
My favourite character is Callum, as he was realistic, sweet, shy and loyal. He was the character that I related to the most, and I was disappointed that Taylor didn’t listen to him when he began worrying about Sierra’s disappearance. I really wanted to like Taylor, but there was too much against her, especially her naivety.
I understand that these characters were grieving, but Rachel and Riley irritated me. I liked Riley in the beginning, as she seemed like a loyal and realistic friend, but she turned nasty as the plot progressed, which really turned me against her. Taylor was naïve, which was frustrating. She should have known that the meet up was dangerous – had she not been taught about stranger danger prior to this?
*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* My favourite part was the community meeting/memorial for Sierra. I thought that Taylor’s speech was touching, and the sparklers added a nice touch. I’m not gonna lie, I almost teared up when they had the minute silence. Fliss’ appearance at the end was sweet, and I’m glad she managed to escape from the kidnapper.
Happy reading!
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does it say how long it took for them to catch jacob jones?
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