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Phalanx Blood #1
Kidnapped
• A LIFE-CHANGING Imagine turning 16 and discovering your blood holds the ultimate medical miracle...
• THE ULTIMATE Bernard goes from an ordinary teen to the world's most valuable asset...
Imagine if your blood was the cure for cancer. Winning the lottery would be a life-changer, but it wouldn't begin to compare with this. I have a cursed life. On my 16th birthday, I donated blood—yes, quite the deviation from your typical cake and ice cream day. But my parents' belief in the 'it's better to give than receive' mindset goes beyond reality when the recipients of that blood learn just how special it is. In no time, I'm offered millions of dollars for just a single sample. A few breaths later, goons are on my trail, and the lives of my parents are in danger. How can I protect Mom and Dad? Can I escape before it's too late?
• THE ULTIMATE Bernard goes from an ordinary teen to the world's most valuable asset...
Imagine if your blood was the cure for cancer. Winning the lottery would be a life-changer, but it wouldn't begin to compare with this. I have a cursed life. On my 16th birthday, I donated blood—yes, quite the deviation from your typical cake and ice cream day. But my parents' belief in the 'it's better to give than receive' mindset goes beyond reality when the recipients of that blood learn just how special it is. In no time, I'm offered millions of dollars for just a single sample. A few breaths later, goons are on my trail, and the lives of my parents are in danger. How can I protect Mom and Dad? Can I escape before it's too late?
- GenresYoung Adult
46 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 16, 2017
Kidnapped: The Phalanx Blood Series is Part 1 of a serial by Bruce E. Arrington. I had no trouble reading it in one sitting as it is only 40 pages long - that and the fact that it is a genuine page-turner, which I always applaud in a story.
The main character is a sixteen-year-old boy with blood that can miraculously cure cancer. Just think about that for a moment. Imagine what havoc would ensue for anyone who possesses such a cure. Add to this the sarcastic perspective of a believable teenager, and you're all set for a fun read.
Although I've only read the first instalment, I recommend this series. I would particularly endorse it as a work to turn a reluctant young reader into a book lover.
The main character is a sixteen-year-old boy with blood that can miraculously cure cancer. Just think about that for a moment. Imagine what havoc would ensue for anyone who possesses such a cure. Add to this the sarcastic perspective of a believable teenager, and you're all set for a fun read.
Although I've only read the first instalment, I recommend this series. I would particularly endorse it as a work to turn a reluctant young reader into a book lover.
September 29, 2017
Kudos to Bruce Arrington for originality and suspense. This is an exciting and fast-moving setup (40 pages) to a medical thriller series. The protagonist, Bernard, is a smart, relentlessly glib teenage boy who, after donating his blood for the first time, is rudely apprised that his blood just might be able to cure cancer. It follows, of course, that Bernard, or rather, his blood, is the hottest of hot commodities. Pharmaceutical companies are vying and champing at the bit to get control of Bernard and market his blood. He has something nearly everyone wants—and suddenly he’s on the run and not sure there’s anyone he can trust. The story is told in Bernard’s voice (first person) and he keeps things moving at a brisk clip. His situation is desperate and at times his breezy sarcastic cleverness got to be a little to much for me, still, I liked him and found myself rooting for him. I would especially recommend this series to teenage readers.
July 8, 2019
Enjoyable read with an edgy voice! The main character (who chooses his own name and does not share his real name) is a spunky teenager of little consequence until his blood turns out to be the cure for cancer. This is for sure a YA suspense and doesn’t mess around moving the plot forward. The author chose to add a bunch of made up names but explains why in the narrative. There were moments that seemed a little unlikely but they weren’t so far outside the realm of possibility to ruin the plot. This story is clearly an intro to a bigger series but lays the groundwork nicely.
If you like witty YAs with lots of suspense, this is a good read!
If you like witty YAs with lots of suspense, this is a good read!
July 29, 2020
When I opened the first page of the book, I wasn't sure what I'd gotten myself into - who was this young man making these strange comments about cancer? But before I turned the page, the main character had me hooked.
This young guy held me all the way through with his combination of arrogance, sarcasm, and uniquely teenage vantage point. He made me look at his situation from a different light. When I first read the premise, I thought I might get lost in the science of the story, but in fact this character was so human that it was easy to follow along with his experience. And it's a unique one, a story different from so many other first-person YA stories I've read.
This young guy held me all the way through with his combination of arrogance, sarcasm, and uniquely teenage vantage point. He made me look at his situation from a different light. When I first read the premise, I thought I might get lost in the science of the story, but in fact this character was so human that it was easy to follow along with his experience. And it's a unique one, a story different from so many other first-person YA stories I've read.
June 14, 2019
This is a great story to read. It has great characters and a great plot. I really enjoyed reading this story and if you love reading thrillers than this story is for you.
June 15, 2020
So I had multiple issues with this short book...first it is too short and needs more substance, second the main character is an obnoxious twit needing his ears boxed, third to be young adult book the level of big words that a young adult would have to stop and look up are numerous and it isn't that I think teens are stupid, but sometimes simple is much better to get your story across. The good things about this book are that the story outline has tons of promise and it has the potential to be an awesome series if developed correctly.
January 1, 2020
One of my most frequent complaints with YA books is errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation, so imagine my glee when this book didn’t have them! Finally I could read safely without being thrown out of the story by such easily preventable roadblocks.
This generally believable tale is based on an excellent premise – human blood with properties that can cure cancer. All cancer, worldwide. Okay, I’m interested. Tell me more.
I won’t give away the story, but I expect the protagonist and his equally underaged friends will have many remarkable adventures as the series progresses, and I’m certain that sixteen-year-old boys across the country will identify with this pack all the way. So I’m betting Bruce Arrington has a hit on his hands.
And look, he does it all while minding his grammar.
This generally believable tale is based on an excellent premise – human blood with properties that can cure cancer. All cancer, worldwide. Okay, I’m interested. Tell me more.
I won’t give away the story, but I expect the protagonist and his equally underaged friends will have many remarkable adventures as the series progresses, and I’m certain that sixteen-year-old boys across the country will identify with this pack all the way. So I’m betting Bruce Arrington has a hit on his hands.
And look, he does it all while minding his grammar.
July 19, 2020
Eh.
Knowing that this book is written by an adult doesn't surprise me. It goes hard for the stereotypical snarky and overly smart/aware for their age teen. This stereotype usually falls flat on its face...which is the category this book falls into. There is clearly a disconnect from this author and how teenagers think and act to be honest.
The premise is certainly intriguing, however, it is something that needs to be more fleshed out than it is.
Honestly? It reads more as a fanfiction you might find on fanfiction.net than a story written by an older adult. The pacing is too fast and characters are rather flat and one-dimensional.
This book could have definitely been helped by an editor and a publishing team, one not created by the author themselves, one that knows the business.
Again, there's an idea, a good idea. It's just not at the mass market book level yet.
(*Note I received a free audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through LibraryThing's member giveaway section.)
Knowing that this book is written by an adult doesn't surprise me. It goes hard for the stereotypical snarky and overly smart/aware for their age teen. This stereotype usually falls flat on its face...which is the category this book falls into. There is clearly a disconnect from this author and how teenagers think and act to be honest.
The premise is certainly intriguing, however, it is something that needs to be more fleshed out than it is.
Honestly? It reads more as a fanfiction you might find on fanfiction.net than a story written by an older adult. The pacing is too fast and characters are rather flat and one-dimensional.
This book could have definitely been helped by an editor and a publishing team, one not created by the author themselves, one that knows the business.
Again, there's an idea, a good idea. It's just not at the mass market book level yet.
(*Note I received a free audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through LibraryThing's member giveaway section.)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews