Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: November 15, 2022

I received this book from the publisher.

There is a school on a Russian peninsula that trains children to be more than they are. Much, much more. Is this an elite preparatory school? No. Is it a state-funded school? No. This is a school started generations ago by a doctor that wanted to see what we would be like if pushed to our limits. A young girl named Meed has grown up there and is ready for her “final” exam. Will she pass? What happens if she fails? Flash forward a decade, Meed is now the teacher. She is using what she learned on a recruit. What is she training her recruit for?

James Patterson and Brian Sitts have a spell-binding story set in Russia and Chicago. Their characters are flawed, evoking sympathy. The action is non-stop with danger around every corner. Meed and her recruit have ties that remain hidden until late in the story. There is so much more that could have been revealed about their connections but it is possible that they are saving this for another book. The book doesn’t tie everything up in a neat bow, the authors leave lots of dangling strings. This might disappoint some readers but I took it to mean this is just the start of these two characters’ journeys.

If you are a James Patterson fan, you won’t want to miss this one. A few gory scenes, violence, and danger keep this from being a young adult book. This writing combo has created a great story, I’m looking for the follow-up.

My Rating: /5