Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston‏

Summary from Goodreads

A teenage girl. A survivalist childhood. And now a bomb strapped to her chest. See the world through her eyes in this harrowing and deeply affecting literary thriller.

I’m Valkyrie White. I’m fifteen. Your government killed my family.
Ever since Mabby died while picking beans in their garden — with the pock-a-pock of a helicopter overhead — four-year-old Valley knows what her job is: hide in the underground den with her brother, Bo, while Da is working, because Those People will kill them like coyotes. But now, with Da unexpectedly gone and no home to return to, a teenage Valley (now Valkyrie) and her big brother must bring their message to the outside world — a not-so-smart place where little boys wear their names on their backpacks and young men don’t pat down strangers before offering a lift. Blythe Woolston infuses her white-knuckle narrative, set in a day-after-tomorrow Montana, with a dark, trenchant humor and a keen psychological eye. Alternating past-present vignettes in prose as tightly wound as the springs of a clock and as masterfully plotted as a game of chess, she ratchets up the pacing right to the final, explosive end.
  
Amazon
Paperback: 192 pages 
Publisher: Walker (6 Jun 2013)

My Review

There was so much I loved about this book - it's snappy writing that flies at a break-neck pace, dangerous and very edgy characters, a thrilling storyline that had me constantly on the edge and the mystery and shockers that were lurking around every dark corner.

The downfall for me was the lack of details - I'm a bit of a stickler for in depth detailing and I found myself longing for more of a back round story, I needed to know the how's and whys but I suppose that's just a personal thing.

The story jumps around a whole lot from the past and present but I really think that's the best part of the book. It's not confusing in the slightest and we get a good understanding of the very deadly character that is Valley White - who is awesome by the way!

The storyline follows Valley, who the whole world doesn't even know exists. She is used as a pawn in her dad's strange war. When something unexpected happens, Valley and her brother are forced to leave the safety of their cabin and follow their father's strict instructions. Valley will end up strapping on a vest of explosives and making a goodbye message....

A lot of the details are very vague in this but the ending itself is very - wow (even though I was a little frustrated).

This is a super quick but nail bitingly explosive book that ended all too quickly for my liking, I would recommend it for people looking for a quick thrill!

3/5 Stars

*Special thanks to Walker Books for the review copy*

Carly :)