Described as "A gripping and gloriously treacherous thriller without guide ropes or safety nets. Leave all certainties by the door," White Rabbit Red Wolf is Tom Pollock's new YA thriller. This is my first book by this author and here are my thoughts about it:
Title: White Rabbit Red Wolf
Author: Tom Pollock
Published: May 3rd 2018 by Walker Books
Blurb: A taut thriller about murder, maths and the mind. Peter Blankman is afraid of everything but must confront truly unimaginable terror when his mother is attacked.
Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a maths prodigy. He also suffers from severe panic attacks. Afraid of everything, he finds solace in the orderly and logical world of mathematics and in the love of his family: his scientist mum and his tough twin sister Bel, as well as Ingrid, his only friend. However, when his mother is found stabbed before an award ceremony and his sister is nowhere to be found, Pete is dragged into a world of espionage and violence where state and family secrets intertwine. Armed only with his extraordinary analytical skills, Peter may just discover that his biggest weakness is his greatest strength.
Review: White Rabbit Red Wolf is definitely a roller-coaster of a read. The first chapter starts already in the middle of a panic attack of the main character, Peter. This sets the tone (dark but with humor and irony) and the pace of the story (really fast). From there, we follow him and his family in a crazy race against time to try to figure out what is going on and who is threatening their life as they know is.
Peter is a hugely interesting character, he is a very talented mathematician and he suffers an extreme anxiety disorder. His life is a battle to be in control and his lifejacket are his numbers, everything needs to be evaluated, counted and risk assessed. But as we follow him, we soon discover a lot more about him. His family, his friends, his school, his memories... and they are all key to the story.
But the story is not only about Peter, there is so much more. It's a true thriller: it keeps you on your toes all the time, biting your nails, holding your breath and above all, shocking you with every twist. I really had no idea where the story was going to go next and it definitely gave me a lot of food for thought. Absolutely recommended for thriller fans, both young and old, especially those looking for something completely new and unique. I do hope we hear more from these characters.
Rating: 4 stars
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
