3.5 Stars

'T-Minus' is an exciting new young adult thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats the whole time. To me, this wasn't a wholly unique concept or plot line, but the author put her own touches into the story to make it stand apart from others out there. I'm a huge fan of this genre, so I was definitely excited to read this one. I was hoping for suspense, excitement, and some twists - and that was exactly what I got.

I really liked the main character, Sophie. She's the teenage daughter of the first female president and she's one tough cookie. She's part of a CIA program that trains teens in tactical skills, weapons, fighting, and lots more. So she's basically badass and not someone you want to mess with. She has her flaws which make her more realistic and easy to connect with. She loves her family and is wholly devoted to them. When things start to happen and her family is put in danger, she takes action and goes on the offensive. She's smart, determined, skilled, and strong. The author used the first person point of view to tell the story - from Sophie's perspective. I'm so happy that she used this writing style because it's my favorite and lets the reader develop a deeper more personal relationship with the narrator. That was definitely the case with Sophie and this story. I loved getting to know her throughout the story, to see her strengths and weaknesses, and to witness her relationships with the people in her life. It was fascinating and added a new depth to the book that wouldn't have been possible with any other writing style.

Overall, this was a good book with an interesting plot and solid characters. I also really liked how you could feel the tension amping up as the story goes on and time is running out. It made things a lot more exciting for me and was a definite plus. I'd recommend this novel for fans of YA, thrillers, mysteries, contemporary, and suspense.

This book was an intense and thrilling journey that always kept you on your toes, waiting to know what happens next.
Shannon Greenland blew my mind with this book - I was at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it, anticipating the next move of the terrorists, as well as that of Sophie.

Sophie Washington was an extremely fascinating character. She was just a teenager. who felt anf thought like a teenager. She was a girl I could initially relate to -with having a crush on a boy and being giddy and also scared because she was clueless about what was happening anf it was great to see her transform into this amazingly strong character who could keep her cool on the outside for the most part even when she felt like she was dying inside and who could think fast and strategically to save her family.

There was always this fear and anxiousness that I felt while reading this book which made the experience even more enjoyable as my eyes widened at every new revelation.

The book was also pretty realistic for the most part of it, about how one often gave into fear and made a mistake and also how one recovered from them.
This book was really amazing and I had a great time reading it.

I loved the layout of the book and the fact that the book happens over the course of 24hrs. I think hat the author did a great job of bringing in memories and past events. However, I did feel as though the the pacing was off at some parts. There were some moments that were filled with urgency but not others.

Intense!

T-Minus is very much like a YA version of the television show 24.Sophie, the daughter of the first female president, has a similar time frame to try to save her mother and the country–and faces at least as many twists, turns, and dangers as Jack Bauer did. Fortunately, we can read it in a day or two and don’t have to wait an entire television season to figure out what will happen. 😉

On the whole I enjoyed the book–it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat!–though there were times that it felt like a bit too much was happening. At times the way-too-frequent flashbacks were the only respite readers got from the action, and it was draining. An excess of setbacks and tragedies (one in particular; yikes) that the characters don’t have timeto deal with lost their impact somewhat when things just go on as normal afterward. (Obviously, life does go on afterward; but here it seemed a bit extreme given the circumstances.)

I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from this author!

Rating: 4 stars / B-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Wow and I do mean wow. This book kept me guessing and I didn't want to put it down.
Let me tell you from the first paragraph I was hooked.
I finished in a day because well this book is just that great.
We have spies in this book and also you don't know who is on Sophie's side or not.
Everything changes for her and not just cause she is the president's daughter either.
People are working from everywhere on the inside and what Sophie finds is the only people she can truly trust to try and seek the truth is her friends.
But when her brother and girlfriend go missing things really go crazy..
Finding out more to the reasons as to why things are going down. Secrets will be revealed.

Don’t expect anyone not to die. Shannon Greenland’s YA political thriller has a larger body count than I expected, but that’s what makes it exciting, right?

Sophie Washington: teenager with a crush on her best friend, daughter of the first female POTUS, skilled member of the TIA (like the CIA but for kids). Now she can add America’s only hope to that list.

What starts off as a normal day for Sophie and the rest of the First Family, turns into a terror attack, masterminded by someone inside the White House. No one is safe and no one can be trusted, including the Secret Service. It’s left up to Sophie and her TIA friends to get to the bottom of the conspiracy to kill the Washingtons. Oh, and the catch? She’s only got 24 hours.

T-Minus is a high-stakes novel that reads very much like a movie, with fast action, danger, and plot-twist galore. Like I said before, just because it’s a YA novel, don’t expect the death toll to be non-existent. I was actually surprised by nonchalant frequency in which some of the character were terminated, but it just added to the drama and intensity of the situation.

What took me out of the narrative was the abundant and sometimes ill-timed flashbacks. There was a least one per chapter, used as a device to introduce history and character relationships outside of the 24-hour time frame of the novel. But they seemed heavy-handed and many didn’t flow naturally, especially when I was much more interested in the present. I get the sentiment of needed flashbacks and it would have worked cinematically, but here it was distracting. It also didn’t help that the flashbacks were in italics and I don’t know about your eyes, but I find that hard to read after a while.

The end of the novel included some character bios that I actually wished would have preceded the story as an easy introduction to the cast. It wasn’t until I read that part that I realized Sophie was Cuban American– a detail not mentioned in the narrative at all.

Overall, I was entertained and interested. I sped through this read faster than I expected, but in a couldn’t put it down kind of way. After all, the country was a stake, right?

4/5 Stars.

I received a free e-ARC of T-Minus from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

T-Minus was such a fantastically fun read! I absolutely loved kicking my feet up and immersing myself in this thrill ride. Shannon Greenland has a fantastic imagination. I loved the plot of this novel! I really felt like I was watching a movie.

I loved the kick-ass main character, Sophie. She’s in a literal race for time to save her family. I loved the flashbacks. It was a really tightly weaved storyline, and I didn’t find myself lost at any point. I think this aspect of the novel was really well written.

There were parts that were a bit predictable, and honestly, I could have done without the romance bits. Otherwise, the story was awesome. T-Minus too me out of my real life for a while and let me just pretend I was somewhere else. I am always happy to read a book like that and am looking forward to more from Shannon Greenland!

*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Xpresso Book Tours. All opinions are my own.*

I received a complimentary copy of T-Minus from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Great who-dun-it! Enjoyable read following Sophie and her friends' adventures on impromptu and covert patriotic missions. The characters were flawless, and the events were believable enough. Fast and enjoyable read! (Just prepare your mindset to where teenagers are capable of planning and executing these types of missions.)
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Sophie is awakened in the middle of the night by her assigned secret service guard with the information that there is a potential terrorist threat against her mother, the president, and that her brother is missing. Soon begins the longest, most dangerous and challenging day of Sophie's life as she is thrust into the middle of something she doesn't understand and lives are at stake- including her's.

T-Minus is the second book I have now read by Shannon and I feel like I can say with confidence that she is the master of YA standalone thrillers. She can make an entire story come to life within one book which is an art form in it's self. When I originally read the synopsis for T-Minus I thought it sounded interesting but once I realized that Shannon is the same author of the book Watching You (which I adored) I knew that I needed to get my hands on this book. T-Minus was equally exciting and stressful, taking place in roughly 24 hours with non-stop action, shocking twists and a super engaging mystery.

The book is narrated by Sophie, a normal seeming girl who is not so normal after all. She is the daughter of the first female president, which that alone makes her unique. But really, what makes her special in my eyes is her kick-ass spy/special agent skills, including shooting, hand to hand combat, hot-wiring cars, analytical skills as well as keeping a cool head in the most stressful of situations. And boy, was Sophie in some dangerous, terrible situations that I wanted to call a time out and give her a hug. I loved that there was a background for why Sophie and her three friends were so amazing and poof, there was the best reason! A teen training/spy bootcamp that simulates real life scenarios and skills that came in perfectly handy when it came to battling a terrorist group.

This review is super short for me but that is due to me not wanting to give anything away! T-Minus is something you need to experience for yourself, but be prepared for some crazy dangerous situations, highly trained teens, death and destruction, conspiracy, betrayal and a dash of romance. I highly recommend reading this story in one sitting if you can because I found myself sitting and stewing about the mystery and danger, worrying for Sophie's well-being and hoping for some sort of romance to blossom with her crush, when I should have been adulting. Shannon is great at sucking her readers in with a great plot and realistic feeling scenarios, making her books come alive.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title.

The first page launches into action and holds an exciting pace all the way to the end.

It's Sophie's seventeenth birthday, and it's one she'll never forget. She's the daughter of the first woman President, but is thrown into a roller coaster thriller as her mother, and the rest of the family, are targeted by a group for assassination. The family is split up for their own protection and brought to safe houses...everyone but Sophie's older brother, that is. He sneaked out to party during the night and can't be located. When Sophie receives a call begging for help, she knows it's up to her to save him. But things aren't easy. The threat comes from an insider, and Sophie might just have to find a way to save her entire family herself.

Action and tension are kept in high gear for this read as Sophie tries her best to figure out what's happening, who the bad guy is, and save her family. There are unexpected moments around every bend and the stakes are very high. This tension draws in and keeps the reader hooked until the last page. (It should be mentioned that the death rate of innocents is high, something more sensitive readers should be aware of.) Sophie is up against impossible odds, and makes good as well as bad decisions. She's easy to root for and connect with, making her a great heroine.

While the plot moves along at a wonderful pace and the mystery elements are very well placed, there are a few stumbles in logic. But this is something which older readers will notice more than younger ones. Also, there are many flashbacks scattered in the pages. While this can be a great tool, there were a bit too many for my taste and tended to interrupt the flow of the story a little. But it was still exciting enough, in general, to keep me from laying the book down.

Thriller fans who love intrigue, danger and action are sure to enjoy this tale.

Summary: Sophie Washington is the daughter of the first female President of the United States and her world is about to be rocked. Sophie’s family is under attack by a terrorist group and she has 24 hours to find the group and stop the threat.

Review: This book and I have developed a complicated relationship. I was super excited when I read the description and I was really looking forward to reading it but the book never really grabbed me. I love spy stories that are filled with intrigue and T-Minus is filled with twists and turns but I never felt immersed in the writing in the way I usually do with these types of novels. Throughout the book I found myself disappointed by Greenland’s tendency to “show and not tell”. The story is interesting and backstory is well thought out however the writing just felt a little flat. Unfortunately, so did Sophie. She had the potential to be a great character but she never felt completely developed. We learn mostly about her through flashback which, at times, felt a little jarring. Plus, I was very disappointed to learn that Greenland ignored the fact Sophie was Cuban American which I only discovered in the extra features at the end of the novel. As a librarian I am constantly looking for books with teen appeal that have diverse characters and T-Minus is a perfect example of that except the book never made it clear that Sophie is actually a diverse character. However, other than those issues the book does have teen appeal while being tween safe and is something that I would recommend.

Once I got past the rather eyebrow-raising premise of this book and let myself go with the flow, so to speak, I had a good time watching Sophie fight back when the unthinkable happens to her family. What makes her story so intriguing is that her family is the First Family, not your everyday family in the local neighborhood. To say the stakes are much higher is not an overstatement.

Mind you, Sophie isn’t entirely alone in her fight against whoever the bad guys are. In fact, a strong and very appealing element here is the connections among Sophie’s friends and, of course, her family. Trust is in short supply among the people who are supposed to protect her family but she reaches out to the teens in a special training program that she believes she can count on.

As you might expect in an action adventure tale, the potential outcome is high risk as is the level of tension and the pace is unrelenting. Occasional flashbacks gave me a few moments to calm down just a little and I appreciated that although perhaps they occurred a little too frequently. There are plenty of false leads and red herrings along the way but I have to say the ending held some surprises (that’s a good thing) as well as satisfaction,

With today’s attention to domestic terrorism, this story packs an especially vivid wallop, whether it’s realistic or not. Sure, an attack of this type on the president and her family is less likely than an attack on a school or food festival but the point is that literally nothing is beyond possibility when extremists have an agenda. Frightening stuff, indeed.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, August 2019.

T-Minus is a fast paced YA thriller in the style of “24”. Sophie is the teenage daughter of the first female president. When she finds out she has 24 hours to stop a domestic terror group from assignations her mother, Sophie and her “gang” of friends (who have all gone through a CIA teen training program) set out to stop the killing and find out the reason behind this as Sophia learns things about an past incident she may not want to know. . The story is told through many flashbacks and has a very high death rate. There is a minor romantic storyline but nothing that detracts from the action and main plot. If you enjoy action thrillers like the TV show 24 and can suspend a little disbelief for a story full of action, you will enjoy the this book. I give it 3.5 out of 5. Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours & NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

I love a good thriller, and I have been reading and enjoying a lot of books with presidential/political families lately, so T-MINUS was a great mix of the two for me. It’s definitely like the YA version of a David Baldacci or Vince Flynn book, so if those appeal to you, I think this will as well.

Sophie is the daughter of the first female President of the United States (POTUS). Early on the morning of her birthday, she is awakened to the news that a terrorist cell has threatened to blow up multiple unknown locations in protest of her mother’s administration. The protocol is to separate the members of the family for safety, so Sophie is facing being alone on her seventeenth birthday. Before she is whisked away by her secret service detail, her father tells her that her mother believes there is someone from the terrorist cell on the inside and that she should trust no one. From there the story takes off, with Sophie working furiously to identify and stop the threat.

There are definitely some twists and shocking moments in the story that I hadn’t expected, and it’s always a plus for me when an author can surprise me. I didn’t fall in love with the characters, but I definitely liked them all. I appreciated the fact that the villains and heroes alike were complex, none being all bad or all good and thus one-dimensional. Sophie was forced to reckon with aspects of her parents’ past that she hadn’t known about, something which we all face on some level as we grow up. She is faced with incredibly difficult situations but, due to her unique training and being the daughter of the POTUS, she maintains a level head and a strength I’m not sure I’d possess in her situation.

T-MINUS is a fast-paced, exciting political thriller from Ms. Greenland that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone who is a fan of the genre. You’ll find yourself racing through to see what happens next!

RATING: 4 stars

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

T-Minus by Shannon Greenland is an exciting young adult adventure thriller. Sophie Washington is the daughter of the President of the United States, her mom. When terrorist attack the white house, and Shannon's brother is missing, she must save her family. Shannon along with her friends go on an action packed adventure. This book was exciting, and a very fast read, I couldn't put it down. I will be reading more books by this author. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys action books, with a little romance. Since this book is aimed at young adults, it's on the mild side, which I would rather read.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the Entangled Publishing, LLC. Thank you.

I enjoyed this fast paced teen action read! It has a little bit of everything in it- action, suspense, worries, and a little bit of romance mixed in. I think it was an enjoyable read!

Sophie Washington has a HUGE problem. Her family is in grave danger and it doesn't help that her mother is the President of the US. In this 'who dun it'-esque read, Sophie doesn't know who to trust to help save her family and also the leader of the US. Will she figure it all out in time?

All in all, this book was intense! Don't blink or you might miss something fairly crucial. The terrorists after her and their motivations come to light and the reason why they are retaliating are extremely valid, not that I agree with their way of getting even. This is NOT a light hearted book, there are several things in here that might not sit well with everyone, but it did not bother me. There is death and destruction and awfulness. Sophie can trust 3 other people to help her in this quest and one is the guy she has a major crush on. Yes, there is a little romance in this, but it does not take away from the story. If anything it goes to show even in a crisis there are still feelings and that is why you are fighting- to be able to have those feelings and do something with it afterwards.
I recommend reading this is you are going into it KNOWING it is a story and anything happens in it is not real and it is for creative value and you enjoy things moving at a fast pace and figuring out what is going to happen next. I was super intrigued with it all!

PS: Thank you Entangled Teen, Netgalley, and Xpresso Book Tours for letting me receive an ARC of the book to read and review honestly!

Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

T-Minus
By: Shannon Greenland

*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
If you read T-Minus, a suspension of disbelief is required because it's improbable without it. A TIA (teen CIA) group go rouge and save the world??
So, accepting the narrative at face value, meet Sophie Washington, daughter of the first female POTUS. Sophie wakes to a credible threat against her mother and protocols that require separation of family members for safety. Sophie learns her brother has actually been kidnapped. She eludes her protection detail so that she and her friends can solve this puzzle before time runs out. There is action aplenty in this story. It's a non stop situation. Because of the before mentioned training, these teens have skills and abilities to access what they need and fend off attackers. Sophie is a strong, intelligent, female lead, and that's inspiring for girls. She is fierce and loyal. Her friends are the kind everyone wants because they are a solid group right in the action with Sophie regardless of the danger. It's a ticking clock situation which makes the entire story more compelling and intense. The thrill is the ever present what if time runs out scenario. Sophie finds out a lot of information she didn't previously know, including details about past events. It's a game of secrets and lies. Who can she trust? Let's hope, for her family's sake, that Sophie is successful. If she fails, what becomes of them? Of her? This story is definitely great for a teen audience, and adults who love YA. Just don't think about the logistics, and enjoy the entertainment value and thrilling aspects of the story instead. The countdown is on!

What I liked

This book was so great that I’m sad that the reading adventure is already over for me! Why? Couldn’t it be a bit longer? Or can we get a sequel please? That would be wonderful! Thank you very much! And now instead of complaining and crying I guess that I should start with all the amazing things this book has to offer!

First of all can we talk about the action? This was one hell of a ride, T-Minus is action-packed and I L.O.V.E.D that so much. This is the kind of thriller that I craved these past few months and never got. Now my cravings are satisfied for a while but I still want more of T-Minus.

The Flashbacks were pretty great. It helped us get to know our main character a lot better and especially to get some insights into the story. Which is a great thing. Usually I find flashbacks annoying because they are always at the wrong time but Greenland managed to put them at the right places. Thank you for that!

The author’s writing style was also perfect. The sentences were short, the pace was fast, the writing was fluid and the chapters were pretty short. Everything was perfect, and it’s everything I like!

The storyline was great and it reminded me a bit of the TV show Designated Survivor on Netflix. Well the book has nothing to do with the plot of DS but it’s still about some troubles in the White House.

I also appreciated the meaning of friendship in this book because Sophie has a lot of luck to have friends that support her as they did in T-Minus. This is real friendship, maybe not always realistic (I talk about their decisions) but it still felt real.

What I didn’t like

Everything was great! Some parts might have been a bit too predictable and I already knew from the beginning who was behind all of this mess but I still liked the reading experience a lot!

Overall, if you like thrillers and especially action-packed and fast-paced thrillers, read T-Minus. I promise you won’t be disappointed! It’s a fantastical Young Adult thriller.

Thrilling read!
Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review T-Minus by Shannon Greenland!
The president’s daughter, Sophie, is awakened during the night when the secret service has discovered a terrorist attack in the making. The story alternates between the present, as the attack progresses, with snippets of past experiences and memories that Sophie has with her family and friends. Her brother Erik is not home and the family believes he’s in danger and they are right. The mystery gradually unravels as to the purpose behind the attack but meanwhile people are dying, being kidnapped or, as in Sophie’s case, being manipulated into doing the terrorists’ bidding. Sophie is part of the TIA, a teenage agency created by the CIA to train and teach survival skills and tactics to teens. She’s made strong friends in the TIA and they help her get to the bottom of what’s going on. Unique characters and the alternating of past and present builds the relationships up and creates empathy for the characters. A suspenseful YA mystery, 4 stars!

I am a huge fan of the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. Sophie reminded me of a young Reacher in her renegade efforts to protect her family at all costs. While this novel is YA, it doesn’t hold back in its delivery of action packed thrills. Sophie takes a lot of risks (including a couple of foolish choices) but what teenager doesn’t? Definitely check out T-Minus by Shannon Greenland and meet Sophie Washington - one of the strongest YA heroines I’ve seen!