Countdown

The story of Countdown is kind of Hunger Games meets Gamer (the movie) where Kira is an unwilling participant in a game where criminals go through deadly and dangerous levels for the ultimate prize. The Network is underground and illegal, making the game high stakes and since the Subscribers love the gore, nobody cares if they survive the game or not. Kira, whose family was murdered two years ago, is paired with Rogan, a convicted murderer, so she pretty much hates him on principle. During the game, they slowly grow to depend on each other and become closer. But Rogan’s past isn’t what it is nor is the producer of the show really evil.

I loved the book until the games ended – it was exciting, hang-on-every-word, and they complete every level at nearly the last second, making you hold your breath. It’s dark and unethical and you are cursing the Network in your mind. After the game ended, however, the plot took a nosedive – the AI and the Psi didn’t really mesh well and the ending was rushed, in my opinion. I did love the writing, though, and the development between the characters; even though it was almost insta-lovey, I give it a pass for the death stakes.

Overall, a good book though it would have been better in a series.

Countdown deals with a brutal, deathly underground game where people have to survive six levels of hard tasks. Are you picturing The Hunger Games? Yes? Now try to imagine that you wake up as a pawn in this game that you've never heard of and you have to play it if you want to continue living.

Yes, Countdown is all but fair and the worst part of all is that it’s only known to the Subscribers; people who pay to have an implant on their brains so they can watch this bloodbath disguise as a game.

Let’s say that, if The Hunger Games had a baby, this would definitely be it.

I was not expecting the intensity of this book, neither the tension nor the action. As soon as Kira wakes up in a dark room with another contestant, the action never stops and you can barely breathe.

Kira is a homeless thief whose life goes from bad to worse. Living a harsh life in the streets, she’s the only survivor of her family’s brutal murder.

Rogan is a convicted murderer who’s given the chance to either play in the game or die as soon as he turns eighteen.

Two troubled and messy souls thrown into this game that soon are attracted to each other. What more could the Subscribers ask for?

I liked Kira; she had gone through some difficult moments in her life and she’s all alone in the world. When she woke up in the game, she had to battle a lot of her fears and mistrusts in order to survive.

As for Rogan, he was mysterious in the beginning but with Kira’s help, he develops into a different character than what we are first introduced to. And, yes, I’ve got to admit, his sarcasm and dark humour conquered me straight away.

Kira and Rogan learn to trust each other and soon discover things about themselves that came naturally. Perhaps a little bit too fast but, then again, they were stuck with other and if they wanted to live, they had to trust each other.

Their romance grew from the heat of danger and it was, somehow, forbidden. But, you all know me, give some troubled romance and I’m all swooning!

I liked the idea of the whole six levels thing. Each and every single one of them would push Kira and Rogan to the very brink of their strength limit which only made it even more intense. Intrigues, lies, secrets and conspiracies are all wrapped within this game and the more you read, the more into it you are and the more difficult it is for you to surface from it.

The only thing I feel is that the author could have turned this book into a series. But maybe it wouldn't work as a series if Michelle Rowen had left us hanging at the end of Level 6. The action afterwards would not make much sense as a sequel perhaps. But I do hope to read more about this Dystopian world the author created. It could be with Kira and Rogan or any other character. I just want more…

I’m extremely happy to have had the chance to read this book. I’m definitely buying this on paperback as soon as I can. And so should do you!!!

Countdown is fast paced, it has a forbidden romance thing to it, action non-stop and so much more you’ll be hooked since Level 1.