[Review] Any Second - Kevin Emerson

Summary: Five years after being kidnapped, Elian's captor sends him into the mall--with a bomb strapped to his chest.

Across the mall is Maya, a girl whose crippling anxiety holds her prisoner in its own way.

Whether it's chance or fate, Maya keeps Eli from ending them all. And now nothing is the same. Drawn together by their dark pasts, Maya and Eli know it takes only seconds for their entire worlds to change. But time will tell if meeting each other will change them for better or worse. (Pub Date: Nov 20, 2018)

What just happened? I wasn't ready for this much depth, I had to take more than my usual couple of days to put my thoughts in order for this review.

Elián was kidnapped when he was around 10 and kept for many years while suffering brainwash so intense he barely remembered his own name. In his mind, his mother had died, his sister been raped over and over. That's the state he is when he is released in a shopping mall, which he is supposed to blow over as a statement. But the bomb doesn't work and that's when he meets Maya, a troubled teenager who finally notices him standing there.

Now it's been a year and fate makes so the two are now in the same school, but not supposed to talk. The incident left big scars in both and their new encounter only makes them clearer. However, it is also them finding each other what brings them closer than ever to healing. Still, Elián's captor is out there.

This is a thriller with a little of romance and lot of hurt. Both Maya's and Elián's issues are very there, it really bothered me as I read. This isn't a pretty novel for you to feel emotional, it's all very twisted. I didn't expect to feel so invested about the story or the characters.

I can't say it was perfect, though. Maybe it's because it was written to bother the reader, but the characters could be too weird at times and some of the happenings made me frown. I'm not 100% with the conclusion but I can still say it was good at least.

I don't recommend this to anyone who might feel triggered with bombs, self-mutilation, guns and the such. Aside from that, I think this was an exceptional YA psychological thriller, and I will be following this writer more closely from now on.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.


Rating: 4 out of 5.