What do you think?
Rate this book
Blood Ties #1
Blood Ties
A gripping thriller from the Richard and Judy award-winning author of Girl, Missing, Sophie McKenzie.
When Theo discovers the father he thought died when he was a baby is still alive, he's determined to find him. The clues lead him to the lonely Rachel, who has problems of her own, including parents who compare her unfavourably to her long-dead sister.
But when Rachel and Theo are attacked by men from RAGE - the Righteous Army against Genetic Engineering - at Rachel's school disco, they are rescued by strangers and taken to meet a mysterious figure. There, they both make some startling discoveries about their identities, which will affect their past, present, and future in dramatic and life-altering ways...
When Theo discovers the father he thought died when he was a baby is still alive, he's determined to find him. The clues lead him to the lonely Rachel, who has problems of her own, including parents who compare her unfavourably to her long-dead sister.
But when Rachel and Theo are attacked by men from RAGE - the Righteous Army against Genetic Engineering - at Rachel's school disco, they are rescued by strangers and taken to meet a mysterious figure. There, they both make some startling discoveries about their identities, which will affect their past, present, and future in dramatic and life-altering ways...
438 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2008
63 people are currently reading
3089 people want to read
About the author
Sophie McKenzie
83 books1,483 followersHey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
May 8, 2014
4.75 Fantastic Sweet Sciencey And Could Well Be Happening Right Now STARS
This is another book I read because my 14 year old daughter told me to! And I am so glad I did.
Sophie Mckenzie writes brilliantly and her stories are amazing. She draws you right into the story with her characters, their dialogue and the continual punchy chapters that always leave you wanting MORE!
The writing is brilliantly done, and although it does slow down for a few chapters in the middle, mostly it is quick paced and full of intrigue that grabs you by your curiosity and holds you there for the entire ride.
The story centers around two 15 year olds, Theo and Rachel. It is told in duel perspective from them and each chapter is done in turn – and believe me, and the end of each chapter you are left desperate for next instalment.
The two teens find themselves inextricably linked by events surrounding both their births, and Theo instigates a meeting with Rachel to find out if she knows more than he does. She doesn’t, but that initial meeting brings forth a chaos that will threaten to destroy both of them and everything they knew and thought was real.
Theo is sweet and not at all cocky, heck the guy even blushes on occasion!
He is your typical teen boy, not really knowing what to do around a girl. He feels clumsy and awkward, and has absolutely no idea the effect he is having on Rachel. Yep, typical clueless dude!!
THEO
Rachel is also your typical teen girl; she has self-esteem issues, and takes far too personally jibes from the other girls at school. She also feels she is constantly being unfavourably compared to her dead sister, who died before Rachel was born. She thinks she’s fat, because her mother has an issue with what Rachel eats, and because some of the more popular/nasty girls tell her she is.
RACHEL
What is so fabulous about this book is how much both the characters of Theo and Rachel show real growth throughout the story and become much stronger, both physically and mentally, than either of them would ever have thought they could. Their attitudes to so many things change as they continue on their journey of not only what lies at the core of both their lives but also of beautiful self-discovery.
It was lovely to watch their relationship blossom, especially from Theo’s perspective. I totally love them both and cant wait to read more of them.
I would say that as an adult reading this, I had pretty much worked out a lot of the plot twists, but young teens will totally love this. And even though I had worked stuff out, it in no way distracted from my enjoyment of the story.
In fact, I think some of the twists were meant to be worked out by the reader pretty early on, because my 14 year old worked some of them out too - and you are almost shouting at the characters about it!
The science stuff surrounding Elijah and his work is incredibly current and totally believable. It could be happening right now!!!
The ending left you wanting MORE and I cant wait to start reading the sequel - Blood Ransom - I am so looking forward to more of Theo and Rachel and their continuing adventures.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone, not only teens, who likes a good faced paced story with a bit of Romance thrown in to sweeten it.
A TOTALLY BRILLIANT READ. THANK YOU TO MY DAUGHTER. LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
This is another book I read because my 14 year old daughter told me to! And I am so glad I did.
Sophie Mckenzie writes brilliantly and her stories are amazing. She draws you right into the story with her characters, their dialogue and the continual punchy chapters that always leave you wanting MORE!
The writing is brilliantly done, and although it does slow down for a few chapters in the middle, mostly it is quick paced and full of intrigue that grabs you by your curiosity and holds you there for the entire ride.
The story centers around two 15 year olds, Theo and Rachel. It is told in duel perspective from them and each chapter is done in turn – and believe me, and the end of each chapter you are left desperate for next instalment.
The two teens find themselves inextricably linked by events surrounding both their births, and Theo instigates a meeting with Rachel to find out if she knows more than he does. She doesn’t, but that initial meeting brings forth a chaos that will threaten to destroy both of them and everything they knew and thought was real.
Theo is sweet and not at all cocky, heck the guy even blushes on occasion!
He is your typical teen boy, not really knowing what to do around a girl. He feels clumsy and awkward, and has absolutely no idea the effect he is having on Rachel. Yep, typical clueless dude!!
THEO
Rachel is also your typical teen girl; she has self-esteem issues, and takes far too personally jibes from the other girls at school. She also feels she is constantly being unfavourably compared to her dead sister, who died before Rachel was born. She thinks she’s fat, because her mother has an issue with what Rachel eats, and because some of the more popular/nasty girls tell her she is.
RACHEL
What is so fabulous about this book is how much both the characters of Theo and Rachel show real growth throughout the story and become much stronger, both physically and mentally, than either of them would ever have thought they could. Their attitudes to so many things change as they continue on their journey of not only what lies at the core of both their lives but also of beautiful self-discovery.
It was lovely to watch their relationship blossom, especially from Theo’s perspective. I totally love them both and cant wait to read more of them.
I would say that as an adult reading this, I had pretty much worked out a lot of the plot twists, but young teens will totally love this. And even though I had worked stuff out, it in no way distracted from my enjoyment of the story.
In fact, I think some of the twists were meant to be worked out by the reader pretty early on, because my 14 year old worked some of them out too - and you are almost shouting at the characters about it!
The science stuff surrounding Elijah and his work is incredibly current and totally believable. It could be happening right now!!!
The ending left you wanting MORE and I cant wait to start reading the sequel - Blood Ransom - I am so looking forward to more of Theo and Rachel and their continuing adventures.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone, not only teens, who likes a good faced paced story with a bit of Romance thrown in to sweeten it.
A TOTALLY BRILLIANT READ. THANK YOU TO MY DAUGHTER. LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
Read
February 27, 2010I thought that Blood Ties was a very challenging book because it's about cloning and wars. As this is a very rare subject, it was obvious that it would be different from Sophie’s other books. Blood Ties is about a Theo and Rachel who are the main characters. At first the two don’t know each other but as the story develops they meet, as Theo wants to learn more about his father after his mother, reveals that nearly all the things he thought he knew about his father, were lies. Theo wants to know why he has a bodyguard and attends a posh boy’s school when they live in a tiny house with worn-out furniture.
Rachel is the kind of person who is extremely nervous and self-conscious of herself. This may be explained because she is bullied because of her size. I liked this character because she wasn’t like one of those so-called ‘perfect’ girls, like Jemima, who had an ideal life. She also seems to live in the shadow of her sister Rebecca who died before Rachel was born. The fact that her parents are constantly are making comparisons between her and Rebecca doesn’t help the situation, but makes her feel even more depressed.
I thought this book flowed quite well and the book was very well thought out. I think that there wasn’t much descriptive language which could have given us a bit more of an image of what was going on.
One really good point about this book was I like how it ended – with Rachel and Theo not actually getting together because they are not allowed to know the exact location of the other to protect themselves. I liked this because it was less predictable and was a nice little twist.
Rachel is the kind of person who is extremely nervous and self-conscious of herself. This may be explained because she is bullied because of her size. I liked this character because she wasn’t like one of those so-called ‘perfect’ girls, like Jemima, who had an ideal life. She also seems to live in the shadow of her sister Rebecca who died before Rachel was born. The fact that her parents are constantly are making comparisons between her and Rebecca doesn’t help the situation, but makes her feel even more depressed.
I thought this book flowed quite well and the book was very well thought out. I think that there wasn’t much descriptive language which could have given us a bit more of an image of what was going on.
One really good point about this book was I like how it ended – with Rachel and Theo not actually getting together because they are not allowed to know the exact location of the other to protect themselves. I liked this because it was less predictable and was a nice little twist.
December 6, 2012
(Might be some spoilers!!!)
Sophie Mckenzie is one of my all-time favourite authors. I read many of her books when I was younger and I continue to read and reread them now. I could possibly stretch to say that the Blood Ties series is my favourite of hers, but I don't know, It's too hard!
The characters are amazing, I love how much Rachel changes and how you can really feel it through-out the book. Also, the change in characters every chapter is genious. Not only can you see what they're both doing but you can also get their diferent opinions, which was really good with these characters. I was worried that Rachel and Theo would sound the same but I was presently surprised. I could easily pick up the book from where I'd left off and know instantly who was narrating.
The plot, which is full of scientific goodness, didn't disappoint. Just when you think the ation has ceased, another fight is set off. This was good because it didn't just mean one huge scene at the end. Personally, I prefer Sophie Mckenzie's sci-fi to her more romance novels, but coincidentally, that is because they're a mixture of both. Theo and Rachel's relationship was a great touch to the story, you were tied as much to that as you are the plot.
And finally, the writing was exceptional. As I said before, you could easily tell who was talking. The descriptions were exactly what you would excpect from the characters, instead of a deep description that is totally out of character.
Another great novel from Sophie Mckenzie, and maybe my favourite!
Sophie Mckenzie is one of my all-time favourite authors. I read many of her books when I was younger and I continue to read and reread them now. I could possibly stretch to say that the Blood Ties series is my favourite of hers, but I don't know, It's too hard!
The characters are amazing, I love how much Rachel changes and how you can really feel it through-out the book. Also, the change in characters every chapter is genious. Not only can you see what they're both doing but you can also get their diferent opinions, which was really good with these characters. I was worried that Rachel and Theo would sound the same but I was presently surprised. I could easily pick up the book from where I'd left off and know instantly who was narrating.
The plot, which is full of scientific goodness, didn't disappoint. Just when you think the ation has ceased, another fight is set off. This was good because it didn't just mean one huge scene at the end. Personally, I prefer Sophie Mckenzie's sci-fi to her more romance novels, but coincidentally, that is because they're a mixture of both. Theo and Rachel's relationship was a great touch to the story, you were tied as much to that as you are the plot.
And finally, the writing was exceptional. As I said before, you could easily tell who was talking. The descriptions were exactly what you would excpect from the characters, instead of a deep description that is totally out of character.
Another great novel from Sophie Mckenzie, and maybe my favourite!
October 6, 2019
An really good book!
I would definitely recommend this book as it is is full of suspense and mystery
Also it has the story from a different point of view from another person.
I would definitely recommend this book as it is is full of suspense and mystery
Also it has the story from a different point of view from another person.
May 30, 2021
A very special thanks to Sangeeta for introducing me to this masterpiece, and made me equally crazy for it.
The story follows two primary characters, Rachel and Theo, utilizing a double account. I love this arrangement and it works splendidly here. I loved Rachel and adored watching her character develop and acquire certainty. Theo is maybe somewhat more far off however that is investigated in the story - and I truly cherished the association among him and Rachel and watching it step by step create.
The actual story is an activity stuffed - I ended up totally held from basically the principal page. McKenzie has an entirely assessable way of composing that is truly simple to become mixed up in and she is certainly talented at composing activity scenes. I wound upheaving for all to hear, at that point pausing my breathing as I read.
I discovered the book to be written in an extremely reasonable manner - making that piece more trustworthy - and the characterisation is magnificent. Every one of the characters is fleshed out and I ended up exceptionally connected to them all, particularly Rachel, Theo, Mel and Lewis. In reality, I ended up extremely taken with Lewis and preferred the fellowship he created with Rachel.
This is one of those books you will need to read at a time. Each time I said 'only one more section' it got so energizing I just needed to continue to read. In any event, when the book finished I was ravenous for more - fortunately, I had ordered Blood Ransom to hand! These books are truly habit-forming and I can hardly wait to attempt a greater amount of Sophie McKenzie's work.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 438
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller
🌟Rating - 5 / 5
The story follows two primary characters, Rachel and Theo, utilizing a double account. I love this arrangement and it works splendidly here. I loved Rachel and adored watching her character develop and acquire certainty. Theo is maybe somewhat more far off however that is investigated in the story - and I truly cherished the association among him and Rachel and watching it step by step create.
The actual story is an activity stuffed - I ended up totally held from basically the principal page. McKenzie has an entirely assessable way of composing that is truly simple to become mixed up in and she is certainly talented at composing activity scenes. I wound upheaving for all to hear, at that point pausing my breathing as I read.
I discovered the book to be written in an extremely reasonable manner - making that piece more trustworthy - and the characterisation is magnificent. Every one of the characters is fleshed out and I ended up exceptionally connected to them all, particularly Rachel, Theo, Mel and Lewis. In reality, I ended up extremely taken with Lewis and preferred the fellowship he created with Rachel.
This is one of those books you will need to read at a time. Each time I said 'only one more section' it got so energizing I just needed to continue to read. In any event, when the book finished I was ravenous for more - fortunately, I had ordered Blood Ransom to hand! These books are truly habit-forming and I can hardly wait to attempt a greater amount of Sophie McKenzie's work.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 438
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller
🌟Rating - 5 / 5
September 21, 2025
maybe like 3.5 or 3.75 it was fun and easy but the plot was kinda loose i wasnt like gripped
September 4, 2018
This was the tenth book i have read by Sophie Mckenzie and as you can probably tell i am really enjoying her books so far. Although still on the topic of genetics i think sophie did a great job making this sequel different to the medusa project series. My favourite part about this book would have to be the discovery of a greek god code they use to speak about two certain individuals who live in awful danger of death everyday of their lives all because of the way they were supposedly 'concieved'. This would certainly be one i would reccommend however, i am a great fan of her books so my view may be a slightly biast.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2018
Quite a thrilling book, though Rachel's character initially irritated me, thank goodness the character grew strong and dependent! There was no real closure at the end which is a bit annoying... perhaps leaving room for a possible sequel (unsure if there is one or not... writing this review on the train). All in all, a book that at times I wanted to abandon and other times the plot grew interesting. If you like thrillers, love stories and scientific exploration this book is for you. A pretty good read!
March 16, 2012
MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS!!! (I have tried to keep out as many spoilers as possible… but there are still a few in there; such as who ends up with who… and stuff…)
I first started reading this book because I saw it was written by Sophie McKenzie, who has also written Girl, Missing. I really enjoyed reading Girl, Missing, and after reading this, I felt that this book was a bit of a let down. I felt that the plot didn’t flow very fast and it sometimes got side- tracked. The characters sometimes got on my nerves; it might be because the book was written by an adult; so of course she just had to make the characters stereotypical, especially Rachel, “a typical teenager” which meant that all she really cared about was how she looked, etc. But that’s about the end of my small rant! I think that the plot itself is actually really good!- I liked the twists, but I’m not sure i would actually call them twists because I saw them coming awhile off…, but maybe that’s just me, because I’m not entirely the most normal person in the world…
(You can tell by the amount of I use!)
Even so, I still enjoyed the book; it was quite good, just not amazing, or mind- blowing. But still good. If it wasn’t I wouldn’t have finished it.
Summary
This book evolves around two characters; Theo and Rachel. They find themselves the target of an evil group of people, so of course, like any sane person; they run away! However, unlike any sane person, they run away into another group of bad people… who are just the littlest bit creepy…, only a little So basically the book is about Theo and Rachel running away and trying to survive!
Cons
The Romanticness (Romance? Romanocity? Romantication?)
I didn’t like how most of Rachels thoughts were about Theo. I sometimes felt like screaming “GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF” because she is portrayed as “a typical teenage girl” which just drives me nuts… Most of her thoughts were like “Will Theo like this dress I’m wearing?” or “Am I flirting too much with Theo?” instead of thinking “HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO NOT DIE?” She was just sometimes so selfish… though I have to admit that she does develop throughout the book- at the end she did think about other people, not just herself. And it’s probably not very realistic to think about what a boy is thinking of you, than if you’re gonna live. Just saying.
The End
Let me just get this out of my system: “OMG THE END!!! I HATE IT… IT WASN’T SATISFYING AND IT WAS JUST LEFT SO BROAD (I would say what but I’m trying to keep this review relatively spoiler free )” I hated the fact that *** dies… ;( It just made me feel so sorry for *** because finally when they are just about to win, then die… right at the end… its so sad… but I guess this is a twist that I didnt see… I guess it’s quite a good twist!- i hust wish that Sophie McKenzie had made that part more dramatic and had dragged the moment out more. Getting back to the End…; I hated the fact that the bad guy got away… during the last few pages I was looking thinking “Why isn’t he dead yet???, There are only a few more pages left…?” There wasn’t any proper closure to the book and I felt so sorry for *** because he was just so alone… with a potential killer…. and he was so scared before… ;( I wish we had gotten to know him properly; it all felt a little rushed…
Pros
The two different perspectives
I really liked how Sophie McKenzie wrote the books in two different view points! It makes the characters more real, in a way… kinda…, well as much as a book can be real. It was amusing watching them think about what the other person thought about them then panicking.
The development of the characters
I loved how we saw the characters develop. I’ll start with Rachel, because she is the character who developed more straight forwardly. Rachel, at the beginning of the book, was a shy and ugly girl who always got pushed around, and at the end of the book she was none of those things. I loved how she used to doubt herself so much, and then gradually, she began to get more confident and she believed in herself more and she was sure of who she was. I liked how Sophie McKenzie did the last ever chapter of the book; how we saw her starting a new school with a completely different personality. Theo… He’s more difficult to explain. We still see him develop as a character… but he also goes downhill for a time… especially after he finds out about his parents… ;( But towards the end he was also a changed person; maybe not as much as Rachel, but still changed.
Favourite Quotes
To be honest, this book doesn’t have many really good quotes… there are a few funny ones though, but unintentionally funny…
“I dropped to my knees and puked over the tarmac. I sat back on my heels, shivering, and wiped my mouth on my sleeve. “What a waste of Mel’s delicious food”
“I resisted the temptation to bite his head off”
Overall
I think this is quite a good book. I wouldn’t say it was awesome or spectacular, but it was a good plot and the characters are kinda likeable (because what’s worse than reading a book where you hate all of the characters! actually I can think of a few…).
I would say that this book is probably a three, maybe three and a half, star book. It would have been higher if the twists weren’t so predictable, but anyway, I enjoyed it and I would recommend it to any of you guys out there who might read this blog!
http://discombobulatedbooks.wordpress...
I first started reading this book because I saw it was written by Sophie McKenzie, who has also written Girl, Missing. I really enjoyed reading Girl, Missing, and after reading this, I felt that this book was a bit of a let down. I felt that the plot didn’t flow very fast and it sometimes got side- tracked. The characters sometimes got on my nerves; it might be because the book was written by an adult; so of course she just had to make the characters stereotypical, especially Rachel, “a typical teenager” which meant that all she really cared about was how she looked, etc. But that’s about the end of my small rant! I think that the plot itself is actually really good!- I liked the twists, but I’m not sure i would actually call them twists because I saw them coming awhile off…, but maybe that’s just me, because I’m not entirely the most normal person in the world…
(You can tell by the amount of I use!)
Even so, I still enjoyed the book; it was quite good, just not amazing, or mind- blowing. But still good. If it wasn’t I wouldn’t have finished it.
Summary
This book evolves around two characters; Theo and Rachel. They find themselves the target of an evil group of people, so of course, like any sane person; they run away! However, unlike any sane person, they run away into another group of bad people… who are just the littlest bit creepy…, only a little So basically the book is about Theo and Rachel running away and trying to survive!
Cons
The Romanticness (Romance? Romanocity? Romantication?)
I didn’t like how most of Rachels thoughts were about Theo. I sometimes felt like screaming “GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF” because she is portrayed as “a typical teenage girl” which just drives me nuts… Most of her thoughts were like “Will Theo like this dress I’m wearing?” or “Am I flirting too much with Theo?” instead of thinking “HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO NOT DIE?” She was just sometimes so selfish… though I have to admit that she does develop throughout the book- at the end she did think about other people, not just herself. And it’s probably not very realistic to think about what a boy is thinking of you, than if you’re gonna live. Just saying.
The End
Let me just get this out of my system: “OMG THE END!!! I HATE IT… IT WASN’T SATISFYING AND IT WAS JUST LEFT SO BROAD (I would say what but I’m trying to keep this review relatively spoiler free )” I hated the fact that *** dies… ;( It just made me feel so sorry for *** because finally when they are just about to win, then die… right at the end… its so sad… but I guess this is a twist that I didnt see… I guess it’s quite a good twist!- i hust wish that Sophie McKenzie had made that part more dramatic and had dragged the moment out more. Getting back to the End…; I hated the fact that the bad guy got away… during the last few pages I was looking thinking “Why isn’t he dead yet???, There are only a few more pages left…?” There wasn’t any proper closure to the book and I felt so sorry for *** because he was just so alone… with a potential killer…. and he was so scared before… ;( I wish we had gotten to know him properly; it all felt a little rushed…
Pros
The two different perspectives
I really liked how Sophie McKenzie wrote the books in two different view points! It makes the characters more real, in a way… kinda…, well as much as a book can be real. It was amusing watching them think about what the other person thought about them then panicking.
The development of the characters
I loved how we saw the characters develop. I’ll start with Rachel, because she is the character who developed more straight forwardly. Rachel, at the beginning of the book, was a shy and ugly girl who always got pushed around, and at the end of the book she was none of those things. I loved how she used to doubt herself so much, and then gradually, she began to get more confident and she believed in herself more and she was sure of who she was. I liked how Sophie McKenzie did the last ever chapter of the book; how we saw her starting a new school with a completely different personality. Theo… He’s more difficult to explain. We still see him develop as a character… but he also goes downhill for a time… especially after he finds out about his parents… ;( But towards the end he was also a changed person; maybe not as much as Rachel, but still changed.
Favourite Quotes
To be honest, this book doesn’t have many really good quotes… there are a few funny ones though, but unintentionally funny…
“I dropped to my knees and puked over the tarmac. I sat back on my heels, shivering, and wiped my mouth on my sleeve. “What a waste of Mel’s delicious food”
“I resisted the temptation to bite his head off”
Overall
I think this is quite a good book. I wouldn’t say it was awesome or spectacular, but it was a good plot and the characters are kinda likeable (because what’s worse than reading a book where you hate all of the characters! actually I can think of a few…).
I would say that this book is probably a three, maybe three and a half, star book. It would have been higher if the twists weren’t so predictable, but anyway, I enjoyed it and I would recommend it to any of you guys out there who might read this blog!
http://discombobulatedbooks.wordpress...
Want to read
October 25, 2017I started reading the second book without having any idea there's this one to go. Hence I was thinking why the first one has too many information in the first chapter itself
April 19, 2018
This book was quite a quick read if I had the time. The story line was easy to follow and was really interesting. The characters were well thought of but it was a little to easy for me.
December 22, 2020
3.5
Fajna,ale dla mnie opowieść się skończyła na pierwszej części,po co to ciągnąć dalej.
Fajna,ale dla mnie opowieść się skończyła na pierwszej części,po co to ciągnąć dalej.
August 13, 2022
I’m really happy I picked up this book, I never expected the plot to be this good.
September 17, 2018
AMAZING, I felt it took a while to start up and understand everything but am definitely going to be reading more of Sophie McKenzie, felt engaged and I understood the characters emotions and ideas.
November 29, 2022
A pretty good read - I didn't realise it was a teen thriller but I must say it was better than some adult books I've read - it has even won Richard and Judy's children's books award (not that I hold them in a particular high opinion) but in this case I would have to agree - I won't give the plot away but it is a very worthwhile read
October 3, 2009
All Theo knows about his dad is that he died when the clinic he was working at was bombed. That is until his mum lets slip that his dad is still alive and in hiding. Theo is determined to find him, and his search leads him to Rachel, together they try to solve the mystery surrounding their births and the clinic their parents worked at, but what they find completely blows their lives apart...
This was surprisingly good, much better than I imagined it would be. The plot is enjoyable, with lots of action and little twists to the story, which you never expect. As it's written for teens the writing is simple, but that doesn't detract from the story at all. Theo and Rachel are likeable, well written characters, that you connect with very easily. Overall it's a great young adult thriller, and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
This was surprisingly good, much better than I imagined it would be. The plot is enjoyable, with lots of action and little twists to the story, which you never expect. As it's written for teens the writing is simple, but that doesn't detract from the story at all. Theo and Rachel are likeable, well written characters, that you connect with very easily. Overall it's a great young adult thriller, and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
March 14, 2013
Sophie McKenzie must be one of my favorite authors of all time. She is right up there with J.K Rowling.
I found this book in the library and read the first few pages, and then I basically fell in love with it. It was so easy to read, and didn't have all the unnecessary, random information at the beginning that many books seem to have. I didn't put it down until it was finished and nearly cried when it was over.
I loved the characters, Theo particularly, and I was devestated one of them dies at the end (WHY???) sorry, spoiler!!:)
It was quite a 'different' book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an action- packed roller coaster ride of a story!!!:D
I found this book in the library and read the first few pages, and then I basically fell in love with it. It was so easy to read, and didn't have all the unnecessary, random information at the beginning that many books seem to have. I didn't put it down until it was finished and nearly cried when it was over.
I loved the characters, Theo particularly, and I was devestated one of them dies at the end (WHY???) sorry, spoiler!!:)
It was quite a 'different' book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an action- packed roller coaster ride of a story!!!:D
September 19, 2014
Sophie McKenzie is an all time favourite of mine. The story has been well crafted, and has captured the attention of many. The way the characters change in the story is evident. The journey of Theo and Rachel have is one I will remember.
January 3, 2024
THIS WAS AMAZING!!!!! When you read it you think nothing else mind-blowing could possibly happen but you are so wrong! It is honestly one of my favourite books and the writing is very good! Highly recommend
August 28, 2014
AWWWW THAT WAS SO CUTE
April 1, 2024
Tl;dr Interesting concept, not the most likeable characters, won't be reading the sequel.
It took me a while to get into this book if I'm honest. But I read from halfway to the end in one night.
The plot was what kept me hooked. Not because it was necessarily good, but because I wanted to know how it was all going to end. Or, more specifically, what totally ludicrous thing was going to happen next. The amount of times I felt myself rolling my eyes because just *something else* had happened - a plan's gone wrong, Rachel's had a totally ludicrous idea, Theo's decided not to go to his room for the umpteenth time. And Lewis? More lives than a cat.
But I kept reading. I think in the end, a book that you can't put down must have done something right. But I can't put my finger on what. I think it was possibly the concept and the paciness of the final third. Definitely some interesting and thought provoking themes.
The characters: Rachel was annoying - she was your classic teenage girl who started off "ugly" and ended up "beautiful", and most of her inner dialogue was "does Theo like me? Will theo like xyz?". However, I liked that her response to the whole "I'm a clone" thing was that she has actutally become her own person and it doesnt define her. Theo definitely had a more complicated character, which I liked. Elijah was your typical evil scientist and managed to be linked to nearly every cliche evil thing going. Loved Lewis and Mel. Gutted that they randomly decided to kill Mel off at the end.
Speaking of the ending: disappointing. But I do now know that there's a sequel, which explains some of it. Personally I think it would have been way more satisfying to just leave it as a standalone book, and deal with Elijah, instead of letting him get away to tee up a sequel.
Would I recommend it? If thrillers are definitely your thing, or you don't mind reading a book that is potentially a little bit annoying and far fetched, then yes. But I don't think I'll be reading the sequel.
It took me a while to get into this book if I'm honest. But I read from halfway to the end in one night.
The plot was what kept me hooked. Not because it was necessarily good, but because I wanted to know how it was all going to end. Or, more specifically, what totally ludicrous thing was going to happen next. The amount of times I felt myself rolling my eyes because just *something else* had happened - a plan's gone wrong, Rachel's had a totally ludicrous idea, Theo's decided not to go to his room for the umpteenth time. And Lewis? More lives than a cat.
But I kept reading. I think in the end, a book that you can't put down must have done something right. But I can't put my finger on what. I think it was possibly the concept and the paciness of the final third. Definitely some interesting and thought provoking themes.
The characters: Rachel was annoying - she was your classic teenage girl who started off "ugly" and ended up "beautiful", and most of her inner dialogue was "does Theo like me? Will theo like xyz?". However, I liked that her response to the whole "I'm a clone" thing was that she has actutally become her own person and it doesnt define her. Theo definitely had a more complicated character, which I liked. Elijah was your typical evil scientist and managed to be linked to nearly every cliche evil thing going. Loved Lewis and Mel. Gutted that they randomly decided to kill Mel off at the end.
Speaking of the ending: disappointing. But I do now know that there's a sequel, which explains some of it. Personally I think it would have been way more satisfying to just leave it as a standalone book, and deal with Elijah, instead of letting him get away to tee up a sequel.
Would I recommend it? If thrillers are definitely your thing, or you don't mind reading a book that is potentially a little bit annoying and far fetched, then yes. But I don't think I'll be reading the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2020
“Something heavy was lying across my chest, like a thick rope. I tried to move but was wedged between two solid objects. No. Not objects. They were too warm and soft for that. I opened my eyes. Earth. I was lying on the ground.”
We actually burst out laughing when coming across the above quote. This review would not be complete without it. We think it sums up not only the writing style but also the complete confusion this book brings.
We relate to Rachel because she was crying every 5 mins, much like us while reading this book, out of disturbance.
We didn’t understand the characters and their “development” - it felt very immature and one dimensional.
The pantomime villain, aka Elijah, served as an antagonist written with no particular conflict between good and bad. It was hard to relate to him, and as a character he was jam-packed with every possible evil thing you could imagine - between his Nazi heritage, domestic abuse of his girlfriend, and scientific villainy, he truly had it all!
We actually burst out laughing when coming across the above quote. This review would not be complete without it. We think it sums up not only the writing style but also the complete confusion this book brings.
We relate to Rachel because she was crying every 5 mins, much like us while reading this book, out of disturbance.
We didn’t understand the characters and their “development” - it felt very immature and one dimensional.
The pantomime villain, aka Elijah, served as an antagonist written with no particular conflict between good and bad. It was hard to relate to him, and as a character he was jam-packed with every possible evil thing you could imagine - between his Nazi heritage, domestic abuse of his girlfriend, and scientific villainy, he truly had it all!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2021
A masterpiece SciFi thriller!
I happened to see this book in my TBR pile and thought to give it a try. I was mesmerized. I had goosebumps from page 182, and I couldn't stop gawking at the premise of the book. The book was throwing twists over twists. I loved the characters. Theo and Rachael were just fantastic. Theo, a rebel, searched for his father supposed to be Mr. Lawson working at the Genetic Engineering Lab owned by Dr. Elijah Lazio. RAGE (Righteous Against Genetic Engineering) destroyed the lab by firebombing. His mother didn't tell the truth about his father but told him that his dad was alive when Theo went on a spree because of his bodyguard. He met Rachael, thanks to his hacker friend Max. Rachael's dad started behaving weirdly when Theo wanted to ask about his father. The plot starts from there. It was unpredictable. Yes, his dad is alive but who is he? Who are Theo and Rachel after all? What about Hermes Project? Did RAGE destroy every work of Dr. Elijah? This book will definitely make their readers in awe. Finally, I am getting its second part.
I happened to see this book in my TBR pile and thought to give it a try. I was mesmerized. I had goosebumps from page 182, and I couldn't stop gawking at the premise of the book. The book was throwing twists over twists. I loved the characters. Theo and Rachael were just fantastic. Theo, a rebel, searched for his father supposed to be Mr. Lawson working at the Genetic Engineering Lab owned by Dr. Elijah Lazio. RAGE (Righteous Against Genetic Engineering) destroyed the lab by firebombing. His mother didn't tell the truth about his father but told him that his dad was alive when Theo went on a spree because of his bodyguard. He met Rachael, thanks to his hacker friend Max. Rachael's dad started behaving weirdly when Theo wanted to ask about his father. The plot starts from there. It was unpredictable. Yes, his dad is alive but who is he? Who are Theo and Rachel after all? What about Hermes Project? Did RAGE destroy every work of Dr. Elijah? This book will definitely make their readers in awe. Finally, I am getting its second part.
April 13, 2018
Sigh, this had so much potential. The idea is really interesting but I think the way the significant events of the story was painted lacked a sense of originality. I felt that it was so predictable.
One thing I truly loved was the relationship between Mel and Lewis. I loved these two characters more than the actual main characters. The protagonists (Theo & Rachel) had me rolling my eyes so many times. Honestly, I don't know why the author portrayed a jealous Theo who thinks Rachel had feelings for Lewis when this said person is way older than Rachel. That was weird.
One thing I truly loved was the relationship between Mel and Lewis. I loved these two characters more than the actual main characters. The protagonists (Theo & Rachel) had me rolling my eyes so many times. Honestly, I don't know why the author portrayed a jealous Theo who thinks Rachel had feelings for Lewis when this said person is way older than Rachel. That was weird.
July 19, 2018
This is another amazing book from Sophie McKenzie. I found the story line intriguing and fascinating. The characters Theo and Rachel both have quite different personalities however as you read more the characters get tougher and stronger (especially Rachel) and then end up falling in love which ended the book in a good way. Throughout the whole book the is lots of action and twists on every page. I would highly recommend this book.
October 25, 2019
Loved it.
A perfect book for youngsters aspiring for thrillers. A read dealing with all major issues of a youth. The adventurous trail moving from country to country in search of their identity. A story of a timid, bullied, fat, a girl with no confidence becoming a bold, confident, smart lady. The characters are just superb. Completed this 438 pages long book in just 2 days.
Must Read
Enjoy Reading 😊
A perfect book for youngsters aspiring for thrillers. A read dealing with all major issues of a youth. The adventurous trail moving from country to country in search of their identity. A story of a timid, bullied, fat, a girl with no confidence becoming a bold, confident, smart lady. The characters are just superb. Completed this 438 pages long book in just 2 days.
Must Read
Enjoy Reading 😊
December 25, 2019
This book is for written for older teenagers, I enjoyed as middle aged adult.
A very fasted paced book, the story of 2 teenagers caught up with research clinic that got bombed by extremist group when they where babies.
The research clinic was hiding a big secret, that comes out in this book.
Worth reading for teenagers and adults looking for exciting thriller with lots of twists and turns.
Based in London and Washington DC.
A very fasted paced book, the story of 2 teenagers caught up with research clinic that got bombed by extremist group when they where babies.
The research clinic was hiding a big secret, that comes out in this book.
Worth reading for teenagers and adults looking for exciting thriller with lots of twists and turns.
Based in London and Washington DC.
October 3, 2022
Loved this book,the only problem is I read the second book before the first book not knowing that there is actually a series with it so it actually ruined the book because I knew what was actually gonna happen that's why,otherwise I would give it a 5 stars rating for sure.But it's fine.Definitely recommend this book,when I start reading it u can't stop putting it down.This thriller was worth reading.
February 27, 2025
I read all of Sophie Mckenzie’s books when I was like 13 and I remember loving them. I think I must’ve loved the other ones (sister missing and medusa project) as I don’t remember this plot or these characters at all.
The characters are annoying and the book pacing was so off. I did appreciate Rachel and Theo’s character development though!! They both grew so much esp Rachel.
Hoping the second book will be better.
The characters are annoying and the book pacing was so off. I did appreciate Rachel and Theo’s character development though!! They both grew so much esp Rachel.
Hoping the second book will be better.
May 24, 2018
I was really surprised that I didn't like this book as I usually always love Sophie McKenzie books and finish them almost immediately but I found this quite a slow read and I didn't really get into it. I grew closer to the character in her medusa project series then with this book and don't think I will read the rest of the series unfortunately
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews