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A review by brooke_review
Any Second by Kevin Emerson
4.0
Eli was supposed to be a human bomb. Sent into a crowded mall by the man who kidnapped him five years earlier, Eli was supposed to take himself out and everyone around him in a blast designed to fulfill “The Purpose.” Supposed to. That is, until Maya happened. Battling her own demons, Maya miraculously interferes, saving Eli from his captor and certain death.
Now nearly a year later, both Eli and Maya are trying to cope with what happened on the day they lived instead of died. Eli is adjusting to being back with his family and attending high school anonymously - no one knows who he really is. Maya is dealing with a barrage of anxieties in a self-destructive manner by picking at her skin and pulling out her hair.
Eli and Maya are not supposed to communicate - authorities deem it a safety issue - but they find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. After all, no one understands what it was like to have survived that near-death situation in the mall except for them. Can two broken people possibly be good for one another? Will their friendship make life easier for the two of them, or will it be all the more difficult?
Any Second by prolific YA author Kevin Emerson is a novel that explores what it is like to be broken and become whole again. Emerson expands beautifully on the utterly overwhelming sense of life that occurs when a person is battling past trauma or a mental illness through this thought-provoking and sensitive novel. Emerson’s characters of Eli and Maya are such fragile people, who through each other try to make sense of a difficult situation.
As much as this is a novel about forging meaningful friendships and not letting your past define you, it is also a story of suspense. Both Eli and Maya have some questionable, potentially destructive people in their lives, who play an important part in their story. With several twists and turns, as well as touching, emotional relationships between the characters, Any Second is a definite page turner.
Sensitive readers should note that there are many possible triggers and difficult topics discussed in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Now nearly a year later, both Eli and Maya are trying to cope with what happened on the day they lived instead of died. Eli is adjusting to being back with his family and attending high school anonymously - no one knows who he really is. Maya is dealing with a barrage of anxieties in a self-destructive manner by picking at her skin and pulling out her hair.
Eli and Maya are not supposed to communicate - authorities deem it a safety issue - but they find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. After all, no one understands what it was like to have survived that near-death situation in the mall except for them. Can two broken people possibly be good for one another? Will their friendship make life easier for the two of them, or will it be all the more difficult?
Any Second by prolific YA author Kevin Emerson is a novel that explores what it is like to be broken and become whole again. Emerson expands beautifully on the utterly overwhelming sense of life that occurs when a person is battling past trauma or a mental illness through this thought-provoking and sensitive novel. Emerson’s characters of Eli and Maya are such fragile people, who through each other try to make sense of a difficult situation.
As much as this is a novel about forging meaningful friendships and not letting your past define you, it is also a story of suspense. Both Eli and Maya have some questionable, potentially destructive people in their lives, who play an important part in their story. With several twists and turns, as well as touching, emotional relationships between the characters, Any Second is a definite page turner.
Sensitive readers should note that there are many possible triggers and difficult topics discussed in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.