David Massey

A great and seductive tale that blends a bit of history with the supernatural, friendships, budding romance, and some eerie killings in Paris. Main character Fellin takes readers through what started as an exchange between British students and comparable ones in Paris to strengthen their language skills. You meet her right after she's been pulled, bloodied and hysterical, from the crypts underneath Paris after a rave-like party turns into a horror show. Much of what follows is told in the form of her being interviewed as a murder suspect, but things get even more interesting after this is concluded. There are plenty of red herrings and some wild chase scenes, all while you're trying to figure out who's been murdering teens in pretty gruesome ways. A brain-challenging and most satisfying YA mystery.… (altro)

De 19-jarige soldate Ellie wordt naar Afghanistan gestuurd om als hospik eerste hulp te bieden aan gewonden. Tijdens haar verblijf raakt ze steeds meer betrokken bij de levens van de soldaten, maar ook bij de Afghaanse bevolking. Tijdens een beschieting ziet ze een meisje in een blauwe jurk. Het meisje lijkt onaangedaan te blijven tussen alle oorlogsgeweld. Wie is zij?
Vanaf het begin boeiend verhaal. Goede beschrijving van de omgeving, de sfeer; je voelt gewoon de hitte, het stof, de zware bepakking.
Als militair word je geacht bevelen uit te voeren, maar wat als de twijfel toeslaat of datgene wat je moet doen wel het juiste is? Wie kun je vertrouwen en wie is eigenlijk de vijand?
Al dit soort dilemma's zijn in het verhaal verweven, maar niet op een expliciete manier. Ook is er wat romantiek, maar gelukkig niet te zoetsappig.… (altro)

Interesting to have a female soldier as the lead character. Ellie is a medic in the British army fighting in Afghanistan who learns the hard way to be on the lookout on her first day when she has a shower in an enclosed courtyard and looks up to see 3 male soldiers on the roof watching her! She has to not only cope with the war and the injuries people suffer ( as a medic) but also a very aggressive bunk mate in her patrol leader Heidi who thinks she is useless. As well there is the prospect as she patrols the desert streets that the wary people she sees around her might actually be out to kill her (not just the obvious rebels and enemy.)
It turns out the 3 men watching are all in her patrol and they soon come to rely on each other in a crisis and the first day's events are forgotten. I thought the part where she helps one who steps on a mine a little unrealistic. There is also the supernatural/strangely unexplained phenomenon of a girl who keeps reappearing and disappearing in Ellie's vision - is she an omen of death to come? As well as that there is a budding romance between her and a US superior officer. Different and fairly engaging story - has suspense and action in it and from memory, swearing is censored.… (altro)