White rabbit red wolf by Tom Pollock

Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406378177
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Twins, Mental illness, Bullying, Genetic engineering, Spies, Murder Revenge, Deception. What starts off as a book about a boy with extreme anxiety issues quickly develops into a rollercoaster thriller. Peter Blankman must overcome his terror and panic attacks to solve the near-fatal stabbing of his mother and find his missing sister. He uses mathematics (his mild super power), to suppress his anxiety and to solve the issues at hand. Who wanted his mother dead? And why has his twin sister disappeared leaving him on his own? There are murders, torture, missing persons, spies and highly questionable genetic engineering involved in this fast-paced story. Peter must unravel the past to come to terms with what is happening in the present. There are twists and turns and deceptions that shock and leave you questioning what is real.
I enjoyed reading this book, it was a page turner, dark and disturbing and left my pondering the life of the mentally ill and our understanding and treatment of them.
I would recommend this for senior high school students (14+) who enjoy a somewhat dark story.
Joyce Crawford