My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.25 with 48 ratings (as of 11/15/18)

Five years after being kidnapped, Elian’s captor sends him into the mall–with a bomb strapped to his chest.

Across the mall is Maya, a girl whose crippling anxiety holds her prisoner in its own way.

Whether it’s chance or fate, Maya keeps Eli from ending them all. And now nothing is the same.

 …more on Goodreads

200 Word Review

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

“Any Second” by Kevin Emerson is a standalone young adult psychological thriller that holds you captive right from the beginning, yes, pun intended. Eli Martinez has been held captive for years and tortured physically, sexually, and mentally. His captor releases him in the middle of a crowded mall with a bomb strapped to him.

Maya Abrams is at the mall too. Her father wants to get an updated license picture to show the “new him” that goes along with his new girlfriend. Maya notices a boy walking toward her in the Department of Licensing. The first thing she notices is he is wearing a wolf mask. The second thing is that he looks sad and alone.

Without knowing why, Maya approaches Eli. It is then she notices the detonator. Eli believes he has to complete his “mission” and pushes the detonator but the bomb does not go off. Maya places her hand on the detonator, tells everyone to leave the area, and tells Eli “I got you”.

What follows is a story about survivors, PTSD, high school and the difficulties that go with it, and Eli and Maya. The one word I would use to describe this story is intense.

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Print Length: 400 pages
ISBN: 0553534823 (ISBN13: 9780553534825)
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 20, 2018