Review of Blackbird by Anna Carey

Format: eBook
Genres: mystery, thriller,
Pages: 256
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 16/09/2014
Find The Author: Website ¦ Twitter
Book Depository ¦ Amazon UK/US ¦ Goodreads

This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her.

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined. 

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Blackbird and I was wary, having read one of Anna Carey's books before and disliking it immensely. This book is much better, and kept me guessing all the way through but it was let down by the decision to use a second person (you did this, that), which came across as more of a gimmick and didn't really work.

The story itself was very original and I finished it within a day. I love stories that keep me reading, wanting to find out what happens next and I really did care about 'Sunny', as she choose to name herself. When the book started she woke up railway tracks, with a train about to hit her and I just knew this was going to be a good read.

The "You did this, that" writing style grew tiresome, quickly. I can overlook it for the great story but I really did feel that it was being used as a gimmick and an odd one at that - I don't think readers typically like that writing style. I don't mind it (when it is done right) but I was often left feeling that this was new to the author too and it even got confusing at to what was happening in places.

There's a feeling of being chased, hunted, throughout the story which was pretty scary at times! I had no clues about who it was that was hunting Sunny, or why they were hunting her. Occasionally we get clues from the people, who get their own voice in some chapters but they still gave very little clues as to what was going on.

I enjoyed the ending and I'm looking forward to reading the next book to see what happens next. There was plenty of action and mystery in this story that I'm hoping continues throughout the series. There's a few questions left unanswered which I'm hoping get answered in the next book and not left until the very end of the series.