When an earthquake tilts the earth on its axis, a dark mark appears on the sun that is stealing light day by day. People know that the world is in dire trouble unless something can be done to rectify the situation; but luckily Howard Hansom, a billionaire and tech mogul, has a solution that would correct the tilt. He believes that if everyone moves to his new town, Tipping Point, then the tilt will be corrected.
Grian, our main character, lives with his sister, Solas, his parents and his grandad. His sister firmly believes that they should all move to Tipping Point immediately, however, his grandad believes the tilt is a hoax. When Grian wakes to find his sister missing, he firmly believes she's gone to follow her dream of moving to Tipping Point; however, things aren't as straightforward as they first seem. Can Grian find his sister and what on Earth is going on in Tipping Point?
Ok, so I have to say that I was (still am, in fact) a big fan of the A Place Called Perfect series and loved the perfect blend of darkness, mystery and intrigue. The books are still popular in school so I was thrilled (actually completely giddy to the point of dancing round the kitchen!) when The Light Thieves fell out of the envelope a couple of weeks ago. It was promoted to the top of my reading pile and I'm so incredibly pleased that I did: it's a brilliant book and Duggan has once again managed to combine great characters with mystery, suspense and danger that kept me utterly hooked.
Grian makes a wonderful main character: somewhat of a loner, he doesn't make friends easily but does have Bob is watch to keep him company and keep him right. The dynamic between him and his sister is brilliant! At first we see them squabbling about who gets to the bathroom first (I remember those days with my sister!), but, when he realises that Solas has gone missing, it is Grian who is absolutely determined to find out what has happened. The relationship feels very real. Along the way, he makes friends with his neighbour, Jeffrey, who is a complete chatterbox, a tech genius and completely loyal to his friends, as well as Shelli who lives in the Wilde, an area of forest on the edge of town where people live tech-free and off the grid, away from all of Hansom's gadgets. The trio are very different (I found Shelli's mistrust of technology refreshing in this day and age and feel she could teach us all a few lessons) but work brilliantly together. I have to also mention Hansom as well who is charming and clearly has the world at his feet; he has the air of a man who is always right and always gets his way so why does Grian doubt him?
Tipping Point itself sounds rather wonderful, although much of it is out of bounds for those who have not yet signed up to it. I particularly liked the sound of the beds and I would rather like to be able to get my hands on a Hansom mattress! The entire place intrigued me and I just wanted more and more of the place to be revealed.
As the book progresses, you realise that all may not be as it seems and I found myself questioning everything as I read. Helena has managed to create a place that sounds both idyllic and sinister at the same time which is no mean feat! The tension builds and I guarantee you'll find you won't be able to put the book down. I warn you now that the book will absolutely leave you wanting more and the twists will leave you guessing. I found myself staying up later every night as I read it as I needed to just read more and more.
With messages about friendship as well as the importance of nature and saving the planet, this is a book that I know is going to be popular in school (I already have children asking when they can borrow my copy!). Due for release in September, The Light Thieves is an epic book full of adventure & twists that you are going to want to read (to be fair, I already want to read it again!)
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