4.5 Stars

I was pleasantly surprised by Rat Runners. To be honest it is somewhat outside of my normal genre. I read a ton of romances, and really any type, including YA and, sci fi. So really I'm not sure what prompted me to pick this title, but I'm glad I did. I had a bit of trouble getting I to it, but by about 20 percent I was hooked. The world building was great, a really good take on a Big Brother future society. The technology was fascinating. And of course the story itself was riveting. Four kids in a race to figure out the why of their current assignment, and the possible ramifications for themselves and society. I'm so glad I stuck with it, because it was a fantastic read.

Oooh, this book was fun.

Every once in awhile I come across a book that has that magic formula that makes it so interesting, and this was definitely one of them!

Rat Runners is set in a world not so different or far off from our own, where everyone is under observation, Safe Guards roam the streets keeping an eye on people, and anyone can find themselves being monitored at any time. Beneath it all is the seedy underground that flourishes with the children that are exempt from the tracking that adults get - children that know too much and have seen too much, whose intelligence would probably put many adults to shame!

Right from the start we're plunged into this intriguing, dark world that's so familiar and yet so seamy at the same time. It's fascinating, and the story is woven in an intriguing way, moving from character to character to build the plot and also let us get to know each person a little more. It's the sort of tactic that's captivating when it's done well, and McGann definitely manages in this book. I actually wish that we'd had a bit more, but what we do see was enough to make me smile, and worry about the characters, and actually care about the build-up of tension as the book progressed.

The world is fascinating as well. I summarised it a bit up above, but it's truly interesting. I love it when authors build worls that are so similar to our own, and yet different enough to be disturbing - and there's plenty of that in this book. I also enjoy it when a book manages to be compelling enough that I can imagine the events in the book actually happening, and that happened with this book. Who knows, a few years into the future and we might be dealing with this sort of thing!

This book also has an intriguing combination of technology and action that made me want to keep turning the page, and a mystery that unfolds as well... It's rare that it's written so well, too, with no overdone cheesiness to make me want to roll my eyes, or to throw me out of the story. It's the sort of book that I could easily turned into a sci-fi/action movie, to be honest.

All in all, the first enjoyable action book that I've laid my hands on in 2015, and definitely something I'd recommend!