Genre:
Young Adult, Adult, Suspence
Source:
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my
own.
From
Goodreads:
Based on true events!
There was a time when six countries were united by
one man named Tito. He defended the country from the tyranny of Hitler, thus
establishing himself as a leader. His system of government was Socialism
controlled by his Secret Police¾the
UDBA. Most of the population was thrilled to live such a life and they
considered the agents their protectors, but one brilliant kid disagreed.
Zlatan, at the age of sixteen, decides to live
outside the system, but that leads him to prison, to serve a sentence of five
years. Inside he meets his teacher, Uncle, a former spy for Tito’s Gestapo, who
arranges an early release for him, but it comes with a high price.
In front of the prison gates, two agents catch him
and give him an ultimatum¾do or
die. Zlatan agrees to their criminal requests but not for ”King and Country”
but for the freedom he craves. His actions lead him to discover something dark
in the pit of his mind. He learns there are greater things to fear than the
police and other criminals. He must answer the question . . .
IS HE ACTUALLY FREE?
Be the first one to find out in this debut novella
by a young author, filled with suspense and psychological battles of an
abnormally self-aware man.
My
Thoughts
If you are looking for a light, easy, feel good read, then
put this book down. This young talented writer knows how to draw out the
emotions in his readers. His book is a fictionalized account of actual
events. His main character Zlatan has
found himself in a situation where he is searching for freedom. The acceptance
of what he hopes will give him that turns out not to be freedom. We see this
young man go from a period in his life where he is a small time criminal who
ends up in prison, to a young man who accepts what he thinks will be his ticket
out. He leaves the prison only to find himself in a deeper hole. It makes you
wonder how dark a person is willing to let their soul get. For Zlatan you can
see the struggle within. He is power hungry yet you still see a side of him
that wants to be rid of all the evil. We
can remove ourselves from bad situations and turn our lives around.
Unfortunately the things we have done in our past, no matter how much we are
able to cover them up still haunt our thoughts and memories. This up and coming author has done a great
job of touching a nerve in his readers. It makes us take a deeper look inside
our own selves. With the exception of a
small amount of language I didn’t care for, I would definitely recommend this
book.