THE ANOMALY BY MICHAEL RUTGER

This book is suspense at its finest.

I devoured it in a weekend, unable to let it go and still thinking about it days later.

As reflected in the vague official synopsis, it’s difficult to surmise the story without giving anything away.

Effectively, the reader goes in blind.

From said synopsis, you know there’s a team trying to find a mysterious cave for their YouTube show entitled The Anomaly Files, and you know the characters find the cave and undesirable things start happening.

Other than that, the reader has nothing to go off — experiencing the plot alongside the characters.

This factor is what makes a lot of the atmosphere of The

Anomaly; the reader knows something will happen but is left waiting and wondering as the characters become more and

more tense.

Predictability is also at an all-time low; at one point I thought I had one element of the plot completely figured out, only to discover later that I wasn’t even close.

What results is a delicious thriller that is superbly atmospheric, exciting and unforgiving.

This being said, The Anomaly isn’t just another good thriller focused purely on the plot and suspense.

One of the best aspects going for it is actually the depth of characters.

Particularly in regards to the point-of-view person, Nolan Moore, time is taken to grow and develop the characters.

In addition, not every question is answered by the end of the book, which is perfectly in-character for Nolan and a credit to the author’s dedication to his cast and their individual personalities.

Granted, a couple characters stay a little flat compared with others, but it's something easily overlooked since the author is juggling a full team of people and an incredible plot. The Anomaly by Michael Rutger is published by Bonnier Zaffre, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Book Group. RRP $19.99 for Bonnier Zaffre paperback edition.