Review: Rush by Eve Silver

Title: Rush (The Game #1)
Author: Eve Silver
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: June 11th 2013
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Summary:

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know? When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game — her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Review:

That is the two words I would use to describe this book. I haven't read something this action packed and awesome in a long time. I'm beating myself up for not reading it sooner. It had been sitting in my bookoutlet cart for a few weeks when I finally decided it was time to order it. After leaving the book I was previously reading at the hospital, and coming home to unpack the box of books I ordered with it, I figured it was time to give it a try. Well, I am still trying to pick my jaw up off the ground. 

Miki was one of those characters that you either liked or you didn't, she had a personality that I don't think some people would like. Luckily I liked her. She was smart, strong, and had some sass to her. I enjoyed her dedication to her dad and how she was worried about his drinking habits and well being and keeping her best friend Carly happy and safe. I could even say that Miki was a bit selfless, she almost (Technically did) got herself killed to save a classmate's sister who was going to be run down by a truck. 

When Miki is struck by the truck she is pulled into a "lobby" as the other characters call it. She meets Jackson, Tyrone, and Richelle and Luka, a classmate of hers where she quickly fill her in on their mission: Kill the Drau and to keep your con from turning red. Your con turning red equals death. Both in the "game" and the real world. If you die you got back to the point in time where you "died" (example: Miki getting hit by the truck) but if you survive you move on in your life, occasionally getting pulled to complete missions. 

Jackson is the leader of this group. He first comes off as an ass in my personal opinion. He refuses to answer Miki's question, insists that it is every man for himself. Eventually though he meets Miki outside of the "game", where he still doesn't answer any questions. But, the romance starts. The book only takes place over a short period of time in reality but there were some instances in the book where they were stuck in the "game" for days. I do feel that the romance came on a bit fast, but I have no complaint about that. As the book goes on, and we learn more about Jackson you see why he is the way he is. Which does manage to break your heart a bit. 

Rush is action packed. Most of the novel takes place with in the "game" with some breaks in between. Eve created a world that managed to leave me flipping through the pages at lightening speed needing to know what was going to happen next. The ending is a bit of a painful cliffhanger. My advice: If you are to read Rush, have Push (The Game #2) close by, because I promise you are going to need more. 

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