The Enemy Within by Scott Burn - Review

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I received a free ecopy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Max has always felt like an outsider and when the apocalyptic visions begin. After he attempts suicide, he winds up under the guidance of a therapist who believes him to be an exceptional seventeen year old. After Max begins to give up the ideas of the visions, he realizes that the visions weren't just in his head. Three others have also been having these visions and they're looking for Max.

The Enemy Within by Scott Burn is an action-packed YA sci-fi novel that doesn't waste any time jumping right into the thick of things. Max is an intriguing character to follow and I liked following his story. However, I had a difficult time connecting to anyone else throughout the story. Everyone else fell flat for me and consistently felt quite static in comparison and lacking dimension to really flesh them out. I also think I would have preferred less jumping around when it comes to character perspective. As interesting as it was to see the military have a presence, it takes away crucial time with our main cast that could have been spent fleshing them out a bit more.

Overall, I liked the story and the plot of Scott Burn's novel, The Enemy Within, particularly the concept, the action, the twists, and Max. However, in retrospect, it doesn't stand out that well in my memory against other YA sci-fi novels. It's a short and fun read, but could ultimately benefit from improved character development.

Thanks again to the author for the opportunity to read this novel!


I read this novel from March 31 - April 1, 2017 and my review is also on Goodreads.