Pages:
301Publisher: Chicken House
Release Date: 4th April 2013
Edition: UK paperback, review copy
Other
Titles by this Author: Junk, Doing It, Sara’s Face, Nicholas Dane, Kill All Enemies, Hunger
and many more
A
new drug is out.
Everyone
is talking about it. The hit.
Take
it, and you have one amazing week to live. It’s the ultimate high. At the
ultimate price.
Adam
is tempted. Life is rubbish: his girlfriend’s over him, his brother’s gone. So
what’s he got to lose? Everything, as it turns out. It’s up to his girlfriend,
Lizzie, to show him...
I’m a big fan of Melvin Burgess
and I always expect fantastically involving and controversial things from him. The Hit was a little bit disappointing
for me.
As ever, Burgess delivers on
the controversy and relevance comments and discussion of euthanasia, wealth,
revolution, drugs, love and sex. I think the idea of revolution is especially
relevant at the moment with the how increasingly hard it is – money wise - to
live in the UK and I think that a revolution could totally be on the cards in a
few years. The spark of a drug that gives you the week of your life is
strangely appealing and I can see why so many teens would be drawn to it.
The brutal truth about the
repercussions of the drug and the panic, pleasure and fear that the final week
provided was done brilliantly and what I’ve come to expect from such an author.
The violence and the dirty truths weren’t flinched away from and I loved that,
but it still didn't blow me away like I wanted and anticipated. I didn’t really
feel anything for any of the characters and though I wanted things to end right
for them, I wasn’t really that bothered either way. I found the ending a little
disappointing as well. I wanted a more controversial and powerful ending than I
got and it feel a little with me.
Though I wasn’t the biggest fan
of The Hit, I’m a die-hard Melvin
Burgess fan and this won’t stop me from reading everything else he writes.
For my 2013
British Books Challenge
Thank you to Chicken House for
providing me with a review copy.
Sophie
I really like the sound of this one, a shame though it didn't quite live up to your expectations. Great review!
ReplyDeleteHuh, interesting. Gonna have to push this one up my tbr list to see what all the fuss is about
ReplyDeleteI saw this in the shop and thought it looked intriguing; dark but fascinating and thought-provoking. I haven't read any Burgess since I was a teenager myself, so I'd be interested to see how this book compares to how I remember the old ones. Sorry to hear it disappointed you though.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate that this didn't blow you away, I've actually read quite a few so-so opinion reviews on this, so I don't think I'll be reading it :L Thanks for the honest review!
ReplyDeleteThe book portrays an extremely realistic and frightening view of what the UK could one day become. example of personal statement
ReplyDelete