26 Aug 2015

Review: Risk by Fleur Ferris

Risk by Fleur Ferris
July 1st, 2015 · Random House Australia
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 288
Taylor and Sierra have been best friends for their whole lives. But Taylor’s fed up. Why does Sierra always get what – and who – she wants? From kissing Taylor’s crush to stealing the guy they both met online for herself, Sierra doesn’t seem to notice when she hurts her friends.

So when Sierra says Jacob Jones is the one and asks her friends to cover for her while she goes to meet him for the first time, Taylor rolls her eyes.

But Sierra doesn’t come back when she said she would.
One day. Two days. Three . . .

What if Taylor’s worrying for nothing? What if Sierra’s just being Sierra, forgetting about everyone else to spend time with her new guy?

When Taylor finally tells Sierra’s mum that her daughter is missing, Taylor and her friends are thrown into a dark world they never even knew existed.

Can Taylor find Sierra’s abductor in time? Or should she be looking for a killer? 
Risk was a book I was really looking forward to this year, especially because I've never read a book like it before. It sounded like a great story (it was) and one that would hook me from the start (it certainly did).

Firstly, let’s chat characters. Sometimes Taylor’s voice felt too young for a 15 year old, but I think something to take into account is that no two teens are the same and also, teenagers will be teenagers. Maybe it was also the fact that a) I don’t normally read characters this young and tend to be drawn to upper YA and b) that it was so frustrating to watch, especially in the beginning because I knew where it was headed and there was nothing to do, except watch it play out. As much as I was tempted to hit pause a few times, I couldn’t not turn the pages and ended up reading this in a day.

The only fault I had with Risk was that I felt the author’s voice come through at times towards the end, so it felt a tad “teach and preach”. But I can let it slide. Because not only did I enjoy this a lot, but I like to think this book could have the power to save someone’s life and teach them about the dangers of the internet, and that is way more important.

Debut author, Fleur Ferris, addresses internet safety and online predators, both subject matters that need to be talked about, especially with young adults who have the potential to be at risk. Engaging, relevant, hard to put down, this book is a chilling nightmare come to life and one that is all too real. Risk is a book that should be required reading for all teenagers.

Have you read Risk or do you plan to? Have you read a book with similar subject matter before - what did you think of it? Is this something that needs to be discussed more in YA?

Don't forget to join #bookclubaus on Twitter this Friday @ 7:30 (AEST) to discuss the book and for a Q&A with the author!

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