Rush (The Game #1) by Eve Silver

1st in a series
352p.
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Available 6/11/13
Source: ARC won from the author

"So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?" 

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

 This was a fast paced and at times frustrating book. The frustration is shared with the main character Miki so it is intentional, but still getting some answers about the world she is pulled into, but not getting all the necessary information can be maddening. Because it was intentional it didn't bother me to the extreme, but I have so many questions I can't wait to get answered.

In this world certain kids are pulled into a game-like world in which points are scored in what you do and how many of the evil aliens you can kill. No explanation, no forewarning, no way to prepare, you are just thrown into the game and hope that you learn as you go. You have a health meter to determine if you survive. Family and friends left behind have no idea what is going on due to a suspension and manipulation of time. I have to give the author total props for this part of the book. Time is a hard concept to tweak for a book and make it believable and I think she did a good job of doing that. Yes, you could argue the science, but I felt the explanation was well reasoned for suspension of belief.

The reason they get pulled into the game is both reasonable and not. This is where I want more explanation. I also have problems with the kids having no choice and little in their control, but control is a theme of this book so, again, this was intentional. Still, you wanted to kick the people in charge in the arse for that one. :)

I give this book 3 stars. I warn you about the ending. It has one horrible cliffie!! I am curious about where the series will take us and I'm hoping for more information about the game world and I would also love to see Miki kick some committee arse!