Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

Barely accustomed to life as a student at the University of Chicago after transferring from NYU, Zak Skinner’s life takes one giant wild turn. It all starts with a fellow student, David Wade, introducing Zak Skinner to drugs. Before Zak knows it, he has developed a strong affinity for reality-altering substances. It is for this same reason that he allows David to take him to Jane’s house, where he consumes a powerful concoction that temporarily halts his ability to tell a hallucination and reality apart. This makes it especially hard for Zak to relate his encounters (after taking Jane’s concoction) to his best friend Riley later on. Soon, they both discover Zak had fallen victim to a dirty scheme driven by an underworld organization near the university. Somehow by getting them hooked on drugs and using blackmail threats, the organization forces its victims and targets to commit crimes. In a bid to find out more, Zak realizes he is being hunted by the organization. Get yourself Lisa Towles' Ninety-Five to learn more.

Lisa Towles does a remarkable job with Ninety-Five. The story’s fast pace and the quite complex plot blend very well. Lisa’s writing style is unique. Adopting the use of complex sentence structures, the storyline of Ninety-Five is quickly but steadily developed. Lisa’s ideas are aligned intriguingly. The story is told from the protagonist’s perspective, and this maintains a delicate line between the imagined and the real world. It was hard to tell whether Zak was experiencing things in reality or he was hallucinating. The transition between the many subplots and chapters is great. The plot is impressively engrossing and generally comprehensible. The details about campus life and the technology used in the story have depth and are convincing enough for the story. The characters are wonderfully developed. What I love most about Zak is his intelligence. Enthusiasts of fast-paced thrillers will love Ninety-Five. It is a magnificent piece of work.

Reviewed by Tiffany Ferrell for Readers' Favorite

The Locket by Brittany Bessonett relates that nine years earlier Katie experienced a horrible sexual assault that changed her life. Constantly living in fear and dealing with the PTSD that followed, she kept away from the place where the attack occurred in the hope of living a relatively normal life. For this reason, she never stayed in one place for long, until she found herself in Victoria, Texas, finding a job that she enjoyed and a friendship she deemed worth keeping. Even her best friend's stepbrother is looking unthreatening, which is extreme growth on her part. Everything feels as if it’s falling into place until a stranger comes to her work, looking for her. Once again she’s on high alert and she is terrified that the man who destroyed her life was back to finish her off. Suddenly everyone she has come to know is being thrown into question, especially when the locket that was stolen during her attack turns up in an unexpected place. Will Katie ever get the closure that she needs, or will she be plagued to run from town to town having no one she can truly trust?

I found The Locket a very powerful read that puts you in the shoes of a sexual assault victim. As someone who has never personally had this happen, I found it realistic and you could understand where Katie was coming from and why she was the way that she was. Katie is a very relatable character because even if you have never suffered an assault, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can occur as a result of many different experiences or events in a person's life. I understood why it was hard for her to trust and make friends, as well as the need to keep moving. How it feels to have life finally seem to be going your way only to be shattered by something that triggers your memories takes you three steps back. I think Brittany Bessonett has done an amazing job bringing this subject to the fore and creating a character that many people can relate to in one way or another. I can’t wait to read more of Bessonett’s work.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Drone Child: A Novel of War, Family, and Survival is a work of fiction in the military and action subgenres. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author David H. Rothman. The book is a revised edition of No Taller than My Gun. The book follows 15-year-old Lemba Adula after his abduction by the Congolese Purification Army, which uses the threat of violence against his family to force him to operate drones for them. Targeted due to his reputation as a genius, Lemba must use all his wits and cunning if he stands any chance of escaping and rescuing his sister from a sex trafficker.

This was a challenging but powerful read exploring the dread that comes from being a young person living in an area of conflict; the recruitment of child soldiers and the threat of sexual exploitation are particularly given a great deal of gravity from the point of view of a child affected by conflict. David H. Rothman has a compelling tale to tell and an important message to impart to readers about the reality of distant warzones. Lemba deserves highlighting as an excellent protagonist for this type of story; at once feeling physically in danger due to being a minor in a world of aggressive adults but also having power in his intellect and determination. A harsh but compelling discussion on the real-world plight of child soldiers, Drone Child should be lauded for the frank conversations it has the power to open for younger readers.

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

An ancient secret society is behind an advanced scientific technological corporation and pulling strings that entangle a doctor and a young woman in human experiments that could change the dynamics of civilization, in the mind-boggling novel Project Evelyn by J.C. Lahoe. When a drunk driver crosses traffic and kills her family, Evelyn loses her arm. Not expecting her to live, a robotic corporation swoops in and erases her presence from the hospital's records. Abducting Evelyn and conveying her to their facility, Dr. Tim Ezrick performs a surgical procedure and attaches a mechanical arm to her shoulder. Evelyn unexpectedly survives, and Tim takes a personal interest in her. As the days, weeks, and months pass, Evelyn starts assisting Tim with his experiments and becomes a part of the center. Tim's superior, Dr. Shepard, following protocols and directives from an elite group hidden behind centuries of closed doors, begins pushing for live human experimental subjects. Feeling expendable, Tim and Evelyn are confronted with a moral dilemma if they want to stay alive. What choices do they have? Can Evelyn and Tim survive what is to come?

Project Evelyn by J.C. Lahoe is a spine-tingling science fiction thriller. It is an exciting and mind-bending story that had me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last. The intricacies of the storyline are so diverse and captivating that I was completely immersed in the story and couldn't put the book down. The plot flows at a brisk pace, building a compelling story arc to subsequently reach an electrifying conclusion. It is an impactful and eye-opening tale when taking into consideration how the medical and robotic technology portrayed is not so far-fetched as it once was. With the elements of drama and suspense combined with the antagonists' deviant intent and advanced technological aspect of the book, the author has created a riveting novel that will entertain and delight science fiction fans from young adults on up.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Swarm: Artificial Intelligence Decodes End Time Prophecies by Guy Morris is a deftly plotted and brilliantly written thriller that will entice fans of conspiracy and espionage. Derek Taylor is a fugitive hacker and contractor for the National Security Agency, using the name of a murdered friend to stay alive. His ties with a terrorist hacker group make him a primary target of an investigation by Lt. Jennifer Scott, who has political backing and resources. SLVIA is an AI program that escaped NSA Lawrence Laboratory and has never been recovered. Now, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) internet virus threatens national security and SLVIA warns Taylor about the breaking of the fifth seal of end-time prophecy. It means only one thing: impending doom. The stakes get higher when a dictator, the president of the United States, releases a defective AI weapon. Two people stand the chance of saving the world: Lt. Scott and Taylor. But can they work together while the impending danger grows stronger and SLVIA is at risk of annihilation?

Guy Morris has written a novel that is gripping and intense when it comes to the action and plot points. The characters are extraordinary and they are pulled from strong backgrounds, including the Joint Artificial Intelligence Command, the CIA, the US Senate and Congress, National Security, Artificial Intelligence Task Force, and many others. The writing is crisp and gorgeous, and I enjoyed the descriptions and how the author explores the intelligence and state of mind as well as the emotions of the characters. The author weaves details into the characters and the plot in a way that is fascinating. The vocabulary is rich and the imagery is exceptionally written. Swarm: Artificial Intelligence Decodes End Time Prophecies is cleverly plotted, gripping, featuring characters that are rock-solid and a conspiracy that feels real.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

Picture 12 super-intelligent children, aged from pre-pubescent to their twenties, adopted, bred, and educated over the years by an eccentric billionaire. Except for the very young, each child has developed exceptional skills in varying areas. When the 90-year-old “father” suddenly dies, this mixed family is immediately locked in his massive mansion. Cell-phone communication is impossible. How will they escape? Each child wears a “Leviathan” key-pendant which will unlock specific rooms. But which room? Worse yet, the father’s dying plan is for them to use their highly developed skills to determine his rightful heir. But to do so, they must eradicate each other. It’s a horrible survival of the smartest contest. Who will survive and inherit billions and at what unmeasurable cost? And just who or what keeps flitting through the shadows?

If Hollywood is looking for a movie or TV series script where Hunger Games meets Escape Room, producers need to look no further than The Leviathan Trial by Oliver Madison. This is a Young Adult thriller on steroids! The premise of The Leviathan Trial is creepy and thoroughly engaging for those who love this kind of book. Death and danger lurk behind every door. Oliver Madison is a writer who is really enjoying where his clever mind is taking him and his readers. The action is fast-paced, the dialogue swift, and the settings elaborate and cinematic. Plot-wise and visually, this story just begs for film production. Little wonder it’s just been awarded a Silver Medal by Readers Favorite!

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Ski Weekend is a work of fiction in the thriller genre. It is aimed at young adults and was penned by Rektok Ross. The book follows a group of teenagers who are on a ski trip that goes terribly wrong when their SUV crashes and strands them in the mountains with no hope of calling help and limited food supplies. The lead character Sam is forced to take extreme measures to care for her brother after an attempt to seek out help leaves him with a broken leg and a fever that only gets worse as the crisis stretches out into days.

This is a suspenseful book that had me thoroughly hooked from page one, with the relationship between Sam and the other members of her group being quickly established as the group gets ready for their journey. The harsh conditions of a freezing mountain make for a brilliant backdrop to the story and Rektok Ross’s excellent prose and descriptive writing leads the reader to imagine the danger in the cold and dark surroundings. As the story unfolds, the desperation begins to set in with the characters, and their slow descent into the darker aspects of survival necessity had me on the edge of my seat. The emotional journey of Ski Weekend is relentless as the events of the story force Sam and her companions to make life-changing realizations about themselves in the face of the constant need for life or death decision-making that will haunt them forever if they are able to survive. I’d recommend this book to any young adult readers.

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

When a virus spreads throughout the country, the people infected become mindless man-eating creatures seeking fresh blood, and a preteen boy must fight them to protect those he loves in the action-packed horror story Outbreak (The Dark Days Series Book 1) by Christopher Cole. When a viral outbreak takes the world by storm and the quarantine area can no longer contain its flesh-eating inmates, Sonny, his parents, and their friend Brad and his daughters Ashley and Carrie stay at Fort Drum for protection. After an invasion, the military decides to move to the larger and more secure location of Fort Denver. Flying the children out first, the adults plan on joining them when the carriers return for them. Unfortunately, soon after Sonny, Ashley, and Carrie arrive at Fort Denver, a large group of zombies invades and overtakes the fort, leaving the three children to survive on their own. Determined to protect the girls, Sonny seeks a safe spot for them to stay until his parents arrive. But if the highly guarded and defended fort can be defeated, what are the chances his parents are still alive? With nothing but their wits and courage, can Sonny, Ashley, and Carrie survive in a world full of zombies?

Filled with breathtaking action and flesh-eating creatures, Outbreak (The Dark Days Series Book 1) by Christopher Cole is a spine-tingling zombie apocalypse novel that is unforgettable! The story exemplifies the extraordinary and admirable qualities that catastrophic events bring out in people. I was impressed with Sonny's portrayal, showing how exceptional people have the innate ability to meet tragic circumstances with stoicism and courage, no matter their age. They are the leaders and heroes in extreme situations, and Sonny's character embodies these traits as a guardian and warrior. As the initial book of an exciting new sci-fi horror series, it is sure to thrill fans of zombie fiction. Skillfully written, it is a stunning page-turner with thrilling, action-packed scenes and engaging characters that will delight those who are fans of the televisions series, The Walking Dead. Because graphic violence and explicit language are laced throughout the story, the book is more suitable for readers who are not disturbed by blood, guts, gore, and cursing.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Apex is an adventure thriller for young and new adults written by Tyler Michael. If anyone had seen the three hikers out in the woods, they’d immediately be able to guess the levels of experience represented by each of them. Chris, in the forefront, was the leader, and an instructor of survival hikes. He loved the woods and challenging himself in survival situations. Following behind him was Kate, who was a good friend and had done quite a bit of survival hiking already. Trailing along behind was the newbie, Kevin, who had been with Chris once before but wasn’t a natural. Their plan to make camp that evening had to be changed due to the river they were planning to cross being flooded by recent rains. After dinner that evening, Kevin volunteered to hang their foodstuffs a distance from the tents to discourage late-night visits by predators, but as he walked along the trail, he encountered a stranger who called himself Ranger and seemed to be out on his own as well.

Readers familiar with Richard Connell’s classic thriller, The Most Dangerous Game, will feel no doubt the same rush of anticipation that I felt as I began reading Tyler Michael’s Apex. This modern retelling of a grand classic kept me on my toes and wondering just who would survive and how they’d do it. The three hikers are definitely at a strong disadvantage in this novel, and the three human predators competing to win the contest have been trained and given weapons making their prey’s survival nearly impossible. Michael’s three main characters make grand subjects to observe as they learn about their surroundings and adjust to a strange and terrifying reality as prey for three apex predators. His plot is action-packed and filled with unpredictable twists and turns. This well-written adventure thriller will appeal to readers of all ages. Apex is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

I Know When You're Going To Die by Michael J Bowler is a YA thriller/horror story. Leonardo Cantrell – Leo to his friends, Ninja Turtle to the bullies at school – is 16 years old and so shy he can’t look anyone in the eye. His life turns upside down when an old man at the shelter where he volunteers makes eye contact with him and passes on a gift – the power to see when someone will die. JC, Leo’s best friend, thinks it’s cool until the day Chet Hamilton, the biggest school bully, forces Leo to look in JC’s eyes and see his death, a bloody murder that will happen in less than a fortnight unless Leo can stop it. Together with Laura, the new girl at school, they go through everything Leo saw and think they have figured out who the murderer is. Laying a trap, they plan to stop the murder and change the future but everything goes horribly wrong. The truth is much worse than they ever thought and all three are in for the longest night of their lives, a night that could see them all dead.

I Know When You're Going To Die by Michael J Bowler is a fabulous story with an incredibly unique plot. Written in first-person, from Leo’s point-of-view, the story grabs hold of you straight away. The story centers on the main protagonist, his friends, and enemies, all of whom are exceptionally well-developed. The action is constant, with never a dull moment or any dead spots, and there are plenty of twists and turns, especially the ending. There are several threads running through this story – rich, so-called privileged kids who aren’t quite as privileged as you might think, bullying, friendship, and perhaps the overwhelming thread is that people aren’t always who you think they are and we should never take anyone at face value. This is an excellent story, adults young and older will enjoy it – I did and I look forward to reading more from Michael J Bowler.