Literature (First series review - On the Run) A fast-paced, twisty, turny YA thriller series
15-year-old Aiden and 11-year-old Meg Falconer are on a prison farm. What did they do wrong? Nothing yet... they're hidden there for their own safety, after their parents were falsely arrested for treason. Meg can't take it anymore and wants to bust out, and an accidental fire started by Aiden provides the perfect opportunity, but at the same time, their first real problem: they are now fugitives from justice, and wanted (so far, only) for arson.
Thus begins a nationwide trek as the two dodge the police, and people who recognize them after seeing them mentioned on TV or in the newspapers (an event which occurs more and more often over time), while trying to track down a man named Frank Lindenauer, who might have information on their parents that could prove their innocence. Things get tricky, though, as a mysterious assassin who somehow has - or is able to fake - FBI and police credentials, is after the kids. The FBI is also after them... and the assassin as well.
What follows is a lot of cat-and-mouse-and-dog trickery as each group tries to outwit, catch, or escape from another. The kids use their wits as they find ways to survive while on the run, gathering food whenever possible, laying low when they can (which gets harder over time!), disguising themselves, all the while knowing they have to venture out in public from time to time to be able to gather information on their target. But then there are the escapes and near-misses. During these, the story's HSQ shoots way up, as the kids use some ingenious (and sometimes implausible) methods to evade or escape capture. For example, Aiden, while trying to bust Meg out of a police station where she's being held, manages to get ahold of an unused uniform, wear it, and pose as a police officer while escorting her out of the building... while the assassin slowly stalks them, waiting for his chance to strike.
The pace is relentless. The story goes from searching for information, to life as a fugitive, to running like hell or escaping capture, and back through all three of these, very frequently. It definitely keeps the story moving, and while there are some great moments that establish how bad these kids have it, I wish there was more time for atmosphere.
That's my only gripe. Otherwise, this is a fantastic YA thriller series, and a lot of fun.
Literature (Second series review - Kidnapped) A very different story to On the Run, despite similar elements
Kidnapped, the three-book sequel series to the six-book On The Run, is not a bad sequel, but it's a very different experience. While there's quite a few similarities, such as in the breakneck pacing and twisty plots, Kidnapped takes these elements and uses them in a very different way.
Meg has been kidnapped. Aiden, also an intended victim, managed to evade the captors, but now desperately wants to find Meg. Right off the bat, the main character dynamic has been shattered. Meg and Aiden aren't working together to outwit adversaries and stay alive, nor is Meg's sarcasm on full display. Instead, their separation changes their roles.
Meg is trying to escape the captors. When that's not possible, she's observing their dynamics and trying to size up the situation. The dynamic on Meg's side of the story is more about the captors - icy "Tiger", brutish "Spidey", and friendly "Mickey", their very different motives for being involved with the kidnapping, and their interactions with Meg.
On Aiden's side of the story, he's not totally willing to be passive. The FBI has been assigned to the case, and a seemingly friendly blogger has offered to sit in with them and support their cause. Aiden still believes he can help Meg, partly because Meg keeps sending out signals.
Meg, you see, keeps temporarily escaping, or in some cases, finding other ways to sneak messages out that Aiden recognizes. While she's recaptured, most of her messages aren't intercepted or understood, and she narrowly misses rescue on more than one occasion.
Some of the elements that make On The Run entertaining are still here. The plot has a lot of twists, and there's changes that shake things up at times. There's still the element of characters trying to outsmart each other to carry out their own goals while evading capture/failure. And there's still some rather implausible bits of danger - for instance, at one point, Meg escapes a car trunk and runs into farmland, only to encounter a bull. Yes, a bull.
Dumb moments aside, it's still a fun thriller, but I didn't find it as memorable as On The Run. Maybe because, due to the kidnapping theme, the characters are less "active", in a sense. It's still a good, suspenseful series and an interesting way of doing a sequel.