Blood Tracks

by Paula Rawsthorne

Gina Wilson is on the edge... Her dad has died in mysterious circumstances, and she is the only one convinced that something isn't right. As she struggles to find the truth, Gina is plunged into a world far removed from the one she has known - a world of lies, crime and betrayal. A world she can't run from...

Winner - Rib Valley Book Award 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

Paula Rawsthorne is one of the winners of the Undiscovered Voices 2010 competition and the 2004 winner of the BBC’s ‘Get Writing’ competition. Her comedy THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT was read by Bill Nighy on BBC Radio 4 and chosen for Pick of the Week. Her unsettling story IN ATTENDENCE was published by Route in an anthology of contemporary fiction called IDEAS ABOVE OUR STATION (reviewed in The Guardian). In 2008 Route also published her short story THE ACCESSORY in an anthology entitled BONNE ROUTE which also received good reviews. She lives in Nottingham with her husband and children.

Reviews

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 yr old Gina is picked up from running training by her Dad (Martin). She is excited to tell him she bet her pb by 7 seconds, but her Dad is distracted by a phone call, then drives down a strange street on the way home. He hops out of the car in the pouring rain and doesn’t come back. Gina is worried when she she receives a text. Forgive me. Dad.

She is devastated when it is ruled her father commited suicide on the train tracks and determined to find out the truth. What follows is a mystery and Gina's love and knowledge of her dad to prove it was murder.

Fabulous read.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood tracks is a gripping thriller from Paula Rawsthorne which is full of twists and turns and unputdownable.

Blood tracks follows the story of Gina whose Dad has apparently committed suicide. However Gina isn't buying it and can't let it lie until she finds the truth. I literally couldn't read it fast enough as I found myself need to know what happened next.

I liked how well paced the book was and how it kept me utterly hooked throughout as I needed to know what happened next. The story itself is quite chilling and the eventual villain of the piece is really quite nasty to the point where you hate him on Gina's behalf. I loved following her story and seeing the story piece itself together and all slot into place by the end. I loved Declan the boy who Gina works with to solve the mystery about her father's death. I loved what he brought to the story and enjoyed every scene with him in.

The only thing I really didn't like was Gina herself. I found her to be a little bit bratty and it therefore meant I got fed up with her and therefore could see why everyone around her dismissed her protestations about her father's death because she was so irritating.

So all in all a book was gripping and had me on the edge of my seat despite not being a fan of the main character. Well worth a read.

[Rosie Donson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Paula again today and that little push made me stay up to this ungodly hour just to finish Blood Tracks. Gina's dad has died in mysterious circumstances but she is the only one convinced that something's wrong. As she struggles to distinguish the truth from the lies, Gina is plunged into a world far removed from the one she has known. A world she can't run away from. The interlocking plot means that you must read this book to the end or it won't make sense. The lying and betrayal set every character on the wrong track until Gina eventually finds the truth. A dark and dangerous thriller with a harrowing secret at it's heart, Blood Tracks is equally as good as if not better than Paula's first novel: The Truth About Celia Frost. This is a must read for anyone aged 12 and over who likes crime and deceit within a novel. A definite 5 stars!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Chris - Year 7

A 16 year old girl, Gina Wilson, is unsure about the cause of her dad’s death, and goes on a mission to seek the truth. Her suspicions turn when Uncle Tom enters the picture. But, can he be trusted?

The book’s target market was aimed for teens, around 14+ and contains some strong language, and violence.

I think the book really captured the feeling of the world turning against you, the anger of no one listening to you.
I would recommend this book to people who love reading because the book is very “realistic” meaning that the book is kept within the limits of real life. The author has really thought carefully about how someone would feel in this situation.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. I liked Gina and her family and Declan but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be towards the end. It kind of fell flat for me eventually. I thought it was a bit strange that just because one person said he was depressed that no further enquiries were made into Gina's Dad's death. If she could find evidence to what Tom had been doing then how could the police not? I really liked Declan and the two ladies he was staying with, they provided some humour to the story. I just couldn't believe that Gina's Mum would be so naive when it came to Tom, it got a bit annoying actually. All in all an okay book but not as great as I thought it was going to be.

[Missixo · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok this sbook at the start , i was like errrmmm this is kinda falling below expectations, with the amazing blurb , freaky dark pictures (cover) & lines and stuff (if that makes sense) but as i read on i thought the book itself was really good .. It kinda made me side with gina and other times think she really IS insane .... The story was written well- strangy addicting and would reccomend .. But Blurb should be changed

[Sophie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've met Paula a couple of times now and I think she is great. Amazing energy and so enthused about getting young people reading. This is probably why I have read almost all of her books (just need to read the Celia Frost book). Compared to Shell and The New Boy, Blood Tracks is completely different. There are no science fiction elements and it is told in the third person. However, what remains the same is the thriller aspect. Paula is great at writing slow-building thrillers that reach a sufficient climax. In the previous books I know I have moaned about these being over far to fast. Blood Tracks isn't a quick ending. The climax builds and then we get a nice chase sequence and further actions which make it wholesome.

The mystery which is uncovered in this book is interesting and has many twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed how she used two characters to build on the case and add evidence to the pile. What was even better is that even though the teenagers got involved and uncovered the mystery they weren't alone and the scary people were cornered by the police. I liked this element as it didn't make the main characters appear unrealistic.

What I didn't like about the book were its pacing issues. The start was very slow. It took a long time for the mystery to get going. During the first part, we just got a rehashing of grief. Of course, the grief is central to the plot and matters a great deal to shape the main protagonist but it just felt a bit hollow and I didn't feel the character's sadness. I think if less time were spent on this and more time was spent on the mystery the book would have been lighter and more enjoyable. My other qualm was with her father's best friend (who's name has escaped my memory!) I have never been a fan of plotlines that have super obvious bad guys which everyone else is blind too. It really grinds my gears! I know this happens all the time in real life and other people might not have a problem with those plot lines so take this criticism with a pinch of salt (it's just a huge grievance of mine).

Overall Blood Tracks is a great little thriller for young teens. If you want to get into this genre without having to worry about guts and gore this is perfect! For me, it just had a few annoying plot developments and the beginning was a bit slow.

[Chloe Hollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!
Gina’s Dad died in mysterious circumstances, it looks like he committed suicide and jumped in front of a train.
Gina is the only one who doesn’t think he killed himself, she believes that he was pushed or attacked. No matter what she says no one else believes her but that doesn’t stop Gina from trying to find out what really happened to her dad.
Turns out her dad was killed by his own friend who was smuggling diamonds!

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this one up at a street library, so thanks to whomever left it there. I was captivated by this story from the very beginning. Why it hasn't had a lot more reviews is beyond me (published way back in 2013!). A crime thriller with elements of YA fiction (which I don't normally read on account of being closer to an OA - old adult), the story rips along at a cracking pace and concludes with a satisfying ending. Well done to the author!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly one of the best books I've ever read. At the start I was a bit unsure but as u got deeper into the book the plot gets better and better. From suspense to mystery to romance this book is packed with the best of EVERYTHING! This is definitely new favourite book and I 100% recommend.

[Dallas Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book that really gets you gripped from the begging to the end! 💖

[Michelle allan]

DNF 100PG I just cant get into this. There is nothing wrong with the story of the writing it just isnt for me.

[toes · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice ! i love how the chapters get shorter and shorter towards the end. but i was so bothered by the white girl on the cover ! her dad is from trinidad !! be better

[Charlie Gardiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the easiest books I’ve ever read, just flew through it. A thriller but feels like it might be a YA thriller due to how quick it was. Nothing massively special about it, just fun and easy

[mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that's the first time I've ever read an entire novel in one sitting 😭 Was lowkey laughing my ass off the whole time cause there was so much going on

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really impressed with this book. Due to it being a YA crime thriller read I expected it to lack pace and intrigue/mystery in the plot, but it is really well written and had me (quite rightly) loathing the character of Tom and his controlling ways. It is quite clear throughout that Tom is involved and up to something, but I did not guess what it was he was up to. So it's not really a 'Whodunnit' book so much as a 'Whatshedone'.
It could have easily been quite unrealistic as many books are when they have a young heroine, however the plotlines were really nicely done, especially with the addition of Declan. This book has been shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards which I have a group of students taking part in and voting for. This is definately a book I would champion as a deserved winner.

[JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truth about Celia Frost was a big hit in our household (various ages) so we were all was looking forward to getting our hands on this one. It’s another gripping page turner with loads of twists and turns. All the main protagonists are well-rounded and interesting. I don’t want to give anything away, but the villain of this piece is believable but quite chilling! Best thing for me, though, is that my teenage sons devoured Blood Tracks in a couple of days each. Highly recommended for ages 12 plus.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and have recommended it to my god daughter aged 12 as I think it's a perfect read for her. I was desperate to know Gina's story and loved how the characters developed. Very clever story too ! Enjoy

[Kim Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good storyline and gripping reading. Would have given it 5 stars but there were some typing errors that annoyed me.
Would recommend this book to anyone. Although it is young adult, it is a very sophisticated read.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well paced novel which took me from a gentle jog to outright running like there was no tomorrow. The author dealt well with the underlying theme of loss but was able to change gear when necessary to plunge into the 'thriller' aspect.

[Coolkat160 · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion i think this book was pretty good and the plot was amazing, it does take a bit of patience but other than that the story gives you a lot of suspicion and your so curious and in total it actually a pretty decently, set-out story.

[Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I could not put it down

[Charmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was really great with all the crime scene

[Georgia]

i was gripped throughout the entire story, it is probably one of the best written murder novels that i have ever read (i am only 13 so i've only read about 10 but still probably ther best)

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

first 100 pages or so bored me, I was tempted to give up on the book. read the rest in the space of a couple of hours as it was more gripping than the start suggests.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me 2 days to finish.

LOVED THIS BOOK