Countdown
By Michelle Rowen
July 29, 2018

Kira thinks she can survive anything after her family’s murder and plague ridden streets of the city. Until she wakes up next to Rogan Ellis. She has no choice but to trust him, if she’s to escape with her life.

I thought Kira was a strong character. Rogan was mysterious, I didn’t know what to think of him to begin with, but eventually I got to know him and learnt about his past.
I liked the non-stop action.

Thank you Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for this review copy for an honest review.

Countdown, a game where your life depends on you winning, literally.

"...the Great Plague swept across the world, and in a matter of weeks, sixty percent of human life was wiped out. Dead and gone, just like that." And then a game was created.

Countdown, "Kill or be killed," is a game where you and your partner try to survive 6 levels or torture.

That is how Kira and Rogan find themselves working together. Kira, the girl who has been on her own since her family was murdered. Rogan, the boy who murdered 9 university girls. Together they must get over their distrust of each other and win a game they are destined to lose.

I was hooked from page 1 of this book and read it every free second that I could. Countdown is a real page turner that keeps the reader wanting more. Such a great quick novel.

In a dystopian future, there is an underground, very illegal game called Countdown, where the stakes are literally life or death. Kira is a 16 year old living on the streets after her family is murdered when she is 14. Rogan is the son of a billionaire and just happens to be an accused murder and has just been transferred to one of the worst maximum security prisons there is. Kira and Rogan wake up one day in a white room, chained to opposite walls, with no idea at of how they got there or what the hell is going on. They learn that they are unwitting contestants on the Countdown game and that they will have to pass 6 levels to earn their freedom without dying, which is the only other way out of the game. They will have to work together to survive, but that won't be easy. They are both lied to throughout the game as this makes for better viewership, and ratings are what matter.

I absolutely loved this book! Kira and Rogan were both likeable, with many layers that got peeled back like an onion over the course of the book, I couldn't help but root for them. The world building was good, with a definite dystopian feel. The games were heart stopping, not just physically but also psychologically. The pacing was done well, which made this a very quick read for me.

I highly recommend this book to fans of dystopian YA stories.

5/5 stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Harlequin TEEN, and Michelle Rowen for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fast-paced easy read ideal for dystopian fans who like a sprinking of romance in with their stories; it wrapped up nicely and was all in all satifying

I got accepted to review this book years ago, but unfortunately never got around to reading it. Apologies for this.

Requested and downloaded this book back in 2013 with every intention of reading it but then it expired on my device before I had the chance. Have felt bad about that and as a result haven't wanted to leave a review but with more and more publishers relying on Feedback ratings I need to clear out some of these older titles in my queue.

Sorry, requested but did not get around to reading.