Book Review: Rush by Eve Silver

Rush
The Game #1
Author: Eve Silver
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Science Fiction/Aliens
Release Date: June 11th 2013
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) 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.

From the cover of the book I didn't know what to expect when I received the ARC in the mail. I figured this was a Dystopian novel but when I started reading, I found out it is really Science Fiction and definitely not Dystopian.

The book follows Miki Jones, a high school student who lost her mother and lives with a father who is doing everything he can to hide the fact that he's been drinking more than he should so she won't worry. One day Miki sees a young girl in the middle of the road outside the school and she's about to get hit by a truck. Miki hears a male voice in her head and it ushers her to save the girl. Luka, a boy who recently moved back to the school rushes with Miki to save the girls life and Miki's life is forever changed.

Miki wakes up in The Lobby, surrounded by bright white light and believes she must be dead. She worries about her Dad but then she is greeted by a familiar voice, the voice that was in her head ushering her to save the girl. The voice belongs to Jackson, a tall, dark and handsome albeit mysterious boy who wears sunglasses everywhere he goes and never takes them off. Luka is also there in The Lobby along with two other people, Tyrone (Ty for short) and Richelle. They try their best to fill Miki in on what is happening but they don't have a lot of time because The Game is about to start. What they do manage to tell her is that they were pulled from the real world to The Lobby and this is where they gather their supplies to go into The Game. They are a team now, but it's every man for themselves against The Drau (an alien race that has come to Earth to take over the planet). Those chosen to enter The Game are supposed to keep the Drau at bay before they can take over the planet.

When they get back to the real world, time has not passed. You respawn back in your real life right where you left off. Miki does not die this time, she gets out of the path of the truck and with the help of Luka, saves the girls life. But Miki can't get Jackson out of her head. Not that she is still hearing him in her thoughts, there is just something about him that makes Miki want to get to know more about his story. She also wants to understand more about why she is now a part of this game and what happens if you die to the Drau inside The Game and also if there is ever a way to be truly free again.

I love all of the characters in this story but Jackson and Miki are my favorites. Jackson is brooding and handsome. Miki is smart and extremely inquisitive. They make a very good team in The Game. Jackson is always looking out for Miki even though it is supposed to be every man for themselves. I was forever wanting the story behind why he wore the sunglasses all the time. There is a definite romance component between these two and it is very reminiscent of the romance between Tris and Four in the Divergent series.

If you're a fan of Science Fiction stories you will very much enjoy this first installment to The Game series by Eve Silver. I put her up there with Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth in her writing and story telling abilities and due to the HUGE cliffhanger ending, I am now stomping my feet and huffing around my house like a five year old because I need to know what happens next. I loved this one so much, that I'd love to see it made into a movie because that's how I read it, like I was seeing it play out in front of my eyes. This truly was a magnificent story and I hope you will all enjoy it as much as I did.