Hit the Ground Running was a book that I was especially looking forward to. There's mystery, and the mentioning of a fast paced story. What more could I want in a novel?

Yet when I started reading Hit the Ground Running I realized that I couldn't connect with the story at all. Nor could I endure finishing Eric's story--as intriguing as it was.

Blue Moon Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Hit the Ground Running. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Eric Bakker is at boarding school when he gets a chilling video call from his brother Michael, who says that their parents were taken against their will. With Michael himself being chased, he warns Eric to stay away. Referencing an anthropological project and a special stone as being the possible source for danger, will Eric ignore his brother's warning and get involved? When he gets the help of some of his classmates, will he be putting them at risk?

The characters reference Indiana Jones, just about the time when my mind was drawing parallels to the famous character. The book was fun to read, but had many problems that help it back from being great. The author took liberties with things like airport security times, ignored key details about tracking a suspect, and gave too much power and freedom to the teens to be believable. With the level of planning that the parents undertook to keep their family safe, I found it hard to believe that their intensity did not pass forward to their kid. Not only that, but I also found it difficult to believe that they did not have their own contingency plan. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Hit the Ground Running to other readers.

2.5 stars
Generally I love to read novels in the Young Adult genre. I’ve read a lot of them over the years and I was young....once. Lately I’ve found it hard to connect with the characters and plot. I’m not sure if these were just the wrong stories for me or I’m just getting too old.
Unfortunately “Hit the Ground Running” is one of those I found hard to connect with. At times I had no idea what the characters were talking about and some conversations had me shaking my head and asking, why?
The story had a bad case of too much telling and gets bogged down with information.

Eric gets a video message from his brother that their parents have gone missing. After which he also disappears. Eric is now in a race against time to find his brother Michael and their parents. Eric accepts the help of twins Lakey and Seth, computer hackers, who i think steal the show here with their computer wizardry.
The story moves from action thriller to creepy scientist zombie mythology.

I loved the last 30% with full on action and Lakey & Seth doing what they do best.

The ending leaves the reader hanging but I don’t think I’ll be reading the next in the series.

Perfect Titles for the Picture-perfect Sunnies

Whether its for Instagram, Pinterest or FB, here the perfect titles and picture-perfect sunglasses to be caught in!

Titles and Sunglasses – clockwise from left:

Hit the Ground Running (Hit the Ground Running Series Book 1) by Mark Burley and eyebobs’ “Phone It In”
A Time of Torment: A Charlie Parker Thriller by John Connolly and eyebobs “Case Closed”
HOLY WAR by Mike Bond and eyebobs “Board Stiff”

I received a copy via NetGalley for an honest review. No compensation was given for this review and everything that follows is my opinion.

Hit the Ground Running makes me think of an awesome action movie. The story hits it off fast and doesn't really stop until the characters have found the time to relax. Even then, we have a cliffhanger for the second book.

There is a need for suspension of disbelief when reading this book. You need to have an Indiana Jones like mind. Try to believe in the supernatural and believe that a teenager could have a globetrotting lifestyle before being sequestered into a private school in Canada. This is important because Eric has some interesting stories that would make you wonder if he's just trying to get attention. And, there is an element of the supernatural in the book.

However, it isn't the supernatural that is the main focus. It is a boy trying to find the rest of his family and running away from the bad guys who are out to get him. The action and answers are there, but lead to only more questions.

The book has a lot of chapters and if that turns you off, it shouldn't. There is plenty of action from Parkour to some cool, and unbelievable, tech work. This book is like a thriller meets Indiana Jones and had a teenage child.

The characters are interesting as well. I found myself laughing at Seth and Lakey's comments and I enjoyed Tess and Eric's chemistry. There was enough character background to grow a bit of a relationship between characters and reader. Though I couldn't personally relate to the characters, I did root for them during the tough times.

In all, I do want to continue with the series. Especially with that epilogue. If the Bakker parents are meeting who I think they are meeting then this is getting deep!

Eric was sent to a boarding school by his parents in Canada. He isn't happy about this. One day he skips class and ends up talking to a girl sitting in a tree. Her name is Tess. Eric gets a strange voice mail from his brother Michael telling him that his parents have disappeared. He tells Tess who tells him, she knows someone who can fix the video part of his voice mail. Her friends do and he decides to find his brother and parents. Will he be able to? Tess decides to go with him. How can Tess help him?

The novel is compelling with its mysteries and action packed adventures. I couldn't stop reading it. When I did, I kept wondering what was going to happen next. I know that this is a first of a trilogy. I can't wait for the next one to be published. This is a novel that will be enjoyed by anyone of any age!

The first impression of a book is, of course, the cover. In my opinion there couldn't be a more perfect cover for this story. It reflect the book's content perfectly and when I first spotted it, it made me curious.

I can't really say much about Mark Burley's writing style. Except for: IT'S AMAZING! He writes absolutely thrilling and very detailed, so I could imagine every character and every scene perfectly. From the beginning the whole story is very fast-paced and for sure action-loaded. Though the pace is not too fast for the reader to keep track of the actions in the book.

I have been captured by this book from the first few words until I finished reading it and could barely put it down at all. There are no boring, dull scenes whatsoever and in my opinion the author has a huge talent.

The author also created a great bunch of characters, which I already miss! The author did a great job here by giving each and every one of the characters a unique personality with a great recognition value.

At first there is Eric - the protagonist in this story. He has already seen many things and has travelled to a lot of places in his life due to his parents jobs in research. Eric is kind of a 'loner' in the first place but soon he meets some amazing and loyal friends. He shows a really big deal of courage, even if some would describe it as stupidly high. Eric also proofs more than once, that he would do everything to protect the ones he loves. I absolutely fell in love with this amazing character.

Michael is Eric's big brother. The story sometimes changes to his point of view and in my opinion he seems like a courageous, loyal and curious guy. He also is well-trained and not afraid to make a move, if he sees a chance. He also has a big heart, when it comes to the matter.

Then there is Tess. She is a student at the same boarding school as Eric and comes along as naturally curious, kind and helpful. And not just that, no. She is an actress, whose skills are coming across as very handy in their adventure. She's adorable and I for sure look forward to read more about her!

Seth and Lakey are twins and their special skills are absolutely necessary for Eric and everyone else to see their mission through successfully. Their personalities are a bit special, as they are definitely adventurous and they always talk first and ask questions later. No task is too hard for them, they'll always find a way to make even the strangest things happen. For some they might come along as 'freaks'. For me though? They are perfect!

In my opinion 'Hit The Ground Running' is a must-read for every reader, who loves a thrilling, action-loaded and adventurous story. With this book the author Mark Burley began a stunning series. It held me captive and I'm most definitely looking forward to meet all the incredible characters again in book #2! I can't wait to get my fingers on it and hope it'll be published soon.

A big 'Thank You!' goes to the great team of Blue Moon Publishers for the review copy in exchange of my honest opinion.

Eric Bakker has just received a cryptic message from his brother, Michael, about the disappearance of their parents. Now Michael is also missing, but who can Eric trust to help him with all of this. Michael says to trust no one. Eric is away at boarding school and hasn't made too many friends. What is he going to do to find his family?

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Moon Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Hit the Ground Running had me hooked from the start. I read almost 1/2 the book on the first day. This is a faced paced novel that leaves you wanting more. Imagine your parents dumping you in a boarding school in Canada for no good reason and uprooting you from the home you've always known. Eric isn't sure why his family made the move to Canada or why he has to go to this school. He tries to stick to himself as much as possible. But when he needs help to find his family, who can he trust to help him. While contemplating his situation, he runs into Tess another student from the school, and she thinks she may have a way to help him. Can he trust her? Will he be able to find his brother and his parents before it's too late?

This is the first book in a trilogy. The end leaves you hanging so you will want to read the next book. I can't wait for it to be released.

A terrifying video from his brother leads Eric to think something is terribly wrong. When he learns his parents are missing, and confirms his brother’s disappearance after the video seems to show him captured and possibly shot, Eric vows to help them. He can’t do much from his remote boarding school location, but with the help of the lovely and talented Tess, who agrees to play his girlfriend in an effort to throw off pursuers, and Tess’s friends who possess some pretty amazing online skills, Eric just might have a chance at cracking the mystery and bringing his family home safely.

What Eric finds as he reaches his parents’ lab in California changes the whole game. Secret artifacts point to a dangerous ritual, and deadly assassins close in on Eric’s trail. Eric must outwit those chasing him in time to locate his family and plan their rescue.

This book pretty much had me at parkour. Apparently I’m a total sucker for stories which feature characters with an unusual interest (see my review of Graffiti Moon or Everything, Everything, which happily features another parkour kid!) so this book had me really curious.

I feel like Blue Moon Publishers has been a little hit and miss with me in terms of books I like. Hit the Ground Running was a huge win. The sense of mystery and high stakes yanked me through page after page well past my bedtime. Eric’s concern for his family and his conflicting feelings about Tess won me over superfast. The story isn’t completely from Eric’s point-of-view. Several chapters are from Tess’s point-of-view, and we get a couple of other characters sneaking in from time to time to give us their input.

If you like action-packed stories with high stakes, you will want to have this one on your summer reading list.

Hit the ground running by Mark Burley.
Eric gets a video message from his brother saying his parents are missing. He doesn’t know if he is joking around or not. After trying to phone his parent’s and not being able to get hold of them he wonders what to do. If it is not a hoax they could be in trouble. He asks Tess for help. Can he find out what's happened and not get caught.
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. Loved the story too. Full of action from the start. 5*. Netgalley and Digi writing.

A very interesting story that piqued my curiosity. I like the concept and injection of extreme sports in the story and I think that’s entertaining.

Eric Bakker, attending a boarding school found that his parents and his brother are missing and abducted by some people because of research project. Together with Tess, they go to places and discovered things about the project and his family.

Surprisly, Tess has her own POV. But I’m glad that I can also get to know her thoughts and feelings as well as I’m glad that she’s with Eric especially when he needs to think rationally. I don’t know what to feel about Tess and Eric’s attraction but I’m happy that their romance or moments are not one of the focus of the story.

What I can’t understand is how Eric, Tess, Seth and Lakey are all knowledgable and know every details about old movies and books thinking that they are teenagers and in junior high school? However, I think Seth and Lakey are the coolest character hackers I’ve ever read.

I found the story exciting because I can’t foresee what’s going to happen next. Plus this story made me search in Google for keywords such as Millstone, Shahat, the Vidi, Cyrene, Green Mountain, Aniconism etc. In a country like mine where archeology is not one of the focal areas, I learned a lot from this book such as the history and culture of each places that mentioned. So far I enjoyed reading it.

It was well written with very detailed description of what’s going on. But, what I didn’t like were the multiple POVs. To read Tess’s POV is okay but reading Michael’s, Gunman’s and Stockton’s POV are too much, plus it was suddenly in third person. On the other hand, I’m excited and eager to read the next book!

This book gave me a lot of knowledge about different things especially in history and culture which I can share with others.

"Dudes, seriously, what's the plan?" asked Lakey

* * *
3 / 5

Eric gets a mysterious video message from his brother that ends in his apparent kidnapping. Unsure if this is a joke or not, Eric recruits fellow schoolmates Tess, Seth, and Lakey, to help him investigate. We get pulled into the web of mysteries that surrounds Eric, his brother, their parents and their team's latest archaeological dig in Libya. Hit the Ground Running is well written and the characters are great, but the action is predictable and the mystery bizarre.

The highlight here is the cast. Eric is a pretty solid guy. Sure, he's a bit annoyed that his parents shipped him off to Canadian boarding school with about 3 days notice, but he cares for them. He's also got an interesting background: up until about fifteen, he tailed his parents on their archaeological digs around the world, learning to ride camels, speak different languages, and free run. He's certainly a likeable enough main character. Shaken up by the video message he receives, Eric turns to classmate Tess, who's up for a wild adventure. Even if it involves motorbikes and guns.

Through Tess we are introduced to my favourite characters: twin computer geniuses and sports enthusiasts Lakey and Seth. They've been forging ID's since they were 13 and driving around the country in their own RV to surf the craziest waves. Sure, they're a bit unbelievable as characters, but they aren't over the top and they're a fun addition to the cast.

"They are hunter and prey, pursuing and evading each other through the centuries, and the key to their longevity is something real to be discovered"

Then there's the mystery. As far as the plot goes, it's reasonably standard: someone powerful wants to find Eric's parents and there's a mysterious artefact floating around. There's a lot of basic tropes, including the "oh so this guy has all the answers that we need oh dear he just died", and airport chases, hired thugs, and people not quite being what they seem. The writing is good enough to carry the mundanity of the action, however, as I found Burley's rather simple style to be a perfect fit for the book. Whilst, on the whole, I did quite enjoy Hit the Ground Running, I'm going to highlight a number of complaints that I had.

Complaint number one: This is a pretty minor gripe, but there isn't a lot of parkour in this! The title, cover, and synopsis all make reference to Eric being a running and parkour enthusiast, but there's not a lot of page time devoted to this, which is such a shame. The few scenes where Eric utilises his skills are pretty awesome and I'd have loved to read more about it, as it's a sport I'm not particularly knowledgeable about.

"I'm saying, the reason Azzara took over the site, the thing he seeks, is not a stone. These people were murdered because of a secret."

Complaint number two: It gets really quite weird. As I mentioned earlier, I was really thrilled to find out that Eric's parents are archaeologists and that the mystery revolves around some sort of archaeological find that they made. Awesome, I thought, I love archaeology. But then the plot took this weird veering into supernatural stuff and it didn't really work for me. The tone changed from artefacts and ancient cultures to zombies and immortality and curses, which I found a bit jarring.

Complaint number three: This is not a standalone book. I can't actually find any evidence that there are more books planed, but it ended with a lot of loose ends flapping around and an epilogue that hinted at more. Hit The Ground Running is a thriller/mystery type books and I like those sorts of books to be standalones. This is purely a personal preference, but I probably wouldn't have picked up this book if I had been aware that I would have to buy another book to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Overall, this book is a fun read but nothing particularly innovative or original. I recommend it to those that like the slightly bizarre, archaeology, and ancient mythology.

Hit the Ground Running by Mark Burley scheduled pub date April 25, 2017
Hit the Ground Running Series, Book 1, 4.5 stars

This is an an action packed YA mystery, thriller with just a touch of a love interest. The first pages takes off and the pace of the book keeps going and then drops in the middle. However as the story further unfolds, it roars through to the finish. We have a madman who controls scientists, men in FBI suits, and missing family members. An excellent read and I highly recommend. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Eric, the hero of this book, is into Parkour, which he describes as “a way of thinking and feeling as much as it is a way of doing. It’s about how to deal with obstacles. Different kinds of obstacles. People who do it are called traceurs — tracers.”. Basically, it involves leaping tall buildings and generally doing gravity (and common sense) defying, superhuman jumping, climbing, running - turning any urban area into a video-game-like assault course challenging navigation skills in plotting a path from point A to point B. The considerable mental and physical challenges of parkour give Eric a life-line in coping with (as he sees it) his banishment from the sunny climes of California to a boarding school in Canada. He is not here to make friends or enjoy life – he just needs to survive the teenage school year until he can convince his parents to take him back home. Then his brother, Michael, contacts him to say his parents have gone missing. Suddenly Michael has disappeared too – along with anyone connected to Michael or Eric’s parents. Michael’s last words to Eric are “don’t trust anybody”.
So, the first thing that Eric does is to trust a fellow school mate and drama student, Tess. Through Tess, he meets the amazing teenage, thrill-seeking twins, Lakey and Seth, who can hack their way into anything electronic, and seem to have more subversive infiltration skills than the FBI and CIA combined. My suspicions were immediately raised – this set up (and it must be a set-up) is surely too fortuitous to be true?
It turns out, that Eric’s parents have discovered something worth killing for, during their latest anthropological research project. Eric and Tess need to find Michael and his parents before they are permanently done away with, while also avoiding capture by the goons hired by the reclusive, mad billionaire, Stockton. ““Well, I can’t imagine someone could be both rich enough and crazy enough to do so much to find some ancient artefact. Indiana Jones is a movie. Someone should tell them that.” “Careful, now,” Eric retorted. “Don’t mess with Indy. My dad does what he does because of Raiders of the Lost Ark.””
Like parkour, this book races along at a breath-taking pace – explosive action scenes interspersed with moments of calm to gather one’s thoughts and strength for the next onslaught. There are twist and high speed plot turns worthy of a freerunner at the top of his game. I would love to see this portrayed on the big screen. This book will thrill anyone who is a fan of X-files, X-men, Buffy (anything directed by Joss Whedon), Indiana Jones, James Bond … – basically any non-stop adventure story with a slight supernatural edge. I loved it – and there are two more books to come!!!

Eric hasn’t talked much with his family since his parents suddenly moved from San Francisco to British Columbia—he was just too mad about the changes they forced him to make. He hasn’t bothered to get to know the other students at his boarding school, either. That would seem too much like acquiescing, so he spends his free time outdoors avoiding the other students and practicing the parkour he loves. But when Eric gets a video message from his brother, he learns that their parents have been taken and his brother’s on the run, so Eric’s forced to come out of his isolation to find them.

Before long, Eric has cobbled-together an action team and they’re off to solve the kidnappings of Eric’s family, but before he’s even had a chance to become the hunter, Eric finds that he’s actually the hunted. He’ll need his extensive knowledge and contacts from traveling the world with his anthropologist parents, his skill at parkour, and a handful of talented friends to survive this little adventure.

I chose this book because I was intrigued by the idea of a YA parkour thriller, and it didn’t disappoint. Eric is a sympathetic and engaging character. As the title suggests, Hit the Ground Running is fast-paced, but unlike some thrillers the plot is easy to follow. The characters may be moving constantly, but the story allows readers to get to know them, their flaws, and their motivations. There’s parkour, science, cool tech, and even a paranormal element. Two more books are in the works to complete the series, and I’m looking forward to reading them.

This book “hits the ground running”, indeed — I think its biggest strength was the hook. I read through the first 10% very enthusiastically, and then somewhere along the way, the pace slowed down. Thankfully, it’s not a book where it just goes downhill and doesn’t stop. In fact, as the plot thickens around the 50% mark, my interest picked up again, and the ending was absolutely amazing. Stick with this book to the end, you hear?

What made my interest drop was how sudden information arrives. There will be a slow-paced buildup of several pages, and then for five pages in a row, the reader gets an onslaught of information that may or may not be relevant to the plot (for example, non-relevant dream descriptions and discussions about movies). It did get a bit overwhelming at some point and I lost track of little important details that probably would’ve made the book more enjoyable had I retained them. I also really wish the secrets had been revealed a bit slower through the story, but I suppose it is what it is.

The book alternates between these types of “reveals” and pretty intense action scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The reader gets a cocktail of stalking, kidnappings, motorcycle rides, murders, etc… and of course, the complimentary side romance side story. Additionally, the characters are well-developed and pretty neat; I think anyone would grow fond of them. What struck me the most about Eric and about Tess was how real they felt, and how I could believably run into them in the middle of the street. Very well done!

If you are fond of anthropological mysteries/adventures, be sure to pick up this YA novel. This is suitable for teenagers and up. I read this as part of my own personal challenge to read more books by Canadian authors, and I am proud to say that our nation has great writers!

I’d like to thank Blue Moon Publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The summary for this book sounds the basis for an exciting new movie or, at the very least, a television series. Eric, the main character, finds out that his family is missing under mysterious circumstances. Not only that, but he receives a video from his brother warning him against coming home and, not only that, but the video also shows his brother is in danger. What comes next? An international journey to discover where his family is, what they're involved with, and what he can do about it with the support of a few classmates.

Reading the passages when Eric engages in parkour practice (is that the term?) was interesting. It was a combination action/art scene because while there was a lot going on (jumping, spinning, kicking off of rocks and walls), there was also the beauty to it that Eric espoused. It cleared his mind and gave him the ability to think. It was a unique skill for a novel character, at least for my part.

Having seen parkour on television and YouTube, I wondered if Hit the Ground Running would make a good web series. It certainly had the feel: mystery, action, family secrets, etc.

My favorite characters were Seth and Lakey, the twins that helped Eric clean up and learn more about the video that alerted him to his family's trouble. They're intense adrenaline junkies that also have a head for hacking and reminding me a little of Fitz & Simmons from Agents of Shield.

With really good characters to pull it along, I didn't mind as much that the writing wasn't as exciting as I would have liked for what felt like an action-adventure book. It took me awhile to really get into the story because there were just big portions where I could feel myself getting bored stiff, but I pressed on because I needed to know what happened to these people next.

The ending was a real cliffhanger (no pun intended toward Eric). I almost forgot this was a trilogy, but as the book was nearing 100% on my Kindle I realized that not everything would be solved, not everyone would be saved. The leaving off point makes me very anxious to get to the next book because we are left with two characters being introduced to a potential new baddie and it's one that's quite high in a particular society. Who will it turn out to be? Truly bad or someone that will ultimately help? Things could go either way and if you want to read the firsts step of the journey, you should pick up Hit the Ground Running and see for yourself.

It is well worth a try, especially if you like hackers, mystery, and if you've ever thought parkour looked cool.

The first installment of this Young Adult trilogy is a fascinating and compulsive read. It contains Anthropology, Archeology, Mythology, Science with some historical and cultural aspects which all blend in beautifully. Romance is in the air! Friendship and family dynamics are very much at the forefront.

Eric is resentful of being shipped off to boarding school. He is fearless and excellent at parkour. His resentment creates some distance between him and his parents, until he receives a video clip from his older brother Michael.

This video has him worried about his parents who appear to have gone missing. Michael is not available either. Eric decides to investigate and hopefully find out about what happened to his family. It all boils down to a discovery from one of his parents' project. There are those who want the secrets of this artefact and the ritual that goes with it.

Tess is an art student who offers to help Eric in his quest to discover the truth. She introduces him to Seth and Lakey. Inseparable twins, joined at the brains! They are adrenaline junkies and technical geeks. Together they start to fit the pieces to this puzzle and the adventure begins.

The enemies are ruthless in their pursuits and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Soon Tess and Eric find themselves in one dangerous situation after another.

This story is full of mystery, action and suspense. It's very well documented and the characters are well developed and believable. Eric and Tess are fabulous lead characters. Seth and Lakey are full of enthusiasm and their skills are incredible. They are a bundle of laughter too. Then, there is John who has this mystical air about him.

I was compelled by this story from beginning to end. The mysteries sure give food for thoughts. I like the pace, the descriptions and the suspense. It's a brilliant storyline and it ends on a fairly good note but at the same time leaves more question marks. I can't wait to learn more about Michael's and his parents' involvement.

It's superb and would appeal to readers of all ages. Loved it.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

Easy reading action adventure entertainment in a young James Bond style with a parkour twist. The characters are unique and well written. Definitely one my youngest son will enjoy reading.

A very fun, fast-paced, action packed YA mystery. Hit the Ground Running is one of the few YA books I've read with a male protagonist, written from a male author; and luckily it wasn't stodgy, nor full of gross out humor (gendered stereotypes included on purpose). Eric is a teenager with a sharp mind, fast reflexes and emotions. It was so nice to see a boy portrayed with feelings! There is absolutely nothing realistic about the book, but it's fun, so suspend your disbelief and jump in.

After getting a cryptic call from his brother, Eric sets out to solve the mystery of his missing parents. Along the way, he makes insta-friends with some kids at his boarding school who leave school to help him find his missing family. Eric is a parkour wiz, who can do amazing tricks, which he uses often in the story. This and the wealthy, tech-savvy adrenaline-junky twins he teams up with is the hardest part of the story to swallow, but like I said it's a fun ride so go with it. As the mystery of what happened to his parents deepens, more intrigue, and mayhem happen. Essentially once the story starts, it never really stops.

In some ways this book reminds me of the Gallagher Girls series from Ally Carter and the Naturals from Jennifer Lynn Barnes as just like in those series the teenagers are whip smart, tech savvy, and more than capable of solving complex mysteries.

(Note, I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)