Book Review: You Don’t Know Jack (The Center, #1) – M.C. Lee

Published July 3rd 2014
Format: Novel
Genre: Young Adult / Mystery / Coming Of Age
Length: 190 pages, ebook
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Maria Fanning
ISBN: 978163216148
Characters: Jack Carlisle, Leo McCormack

Who is Jack? What is he? Where did he come from? Honestly, after reading this one – I was not able to answer these three questions and a lot more percolating in my very confused brain after finishing it.

Okay, maybe I’m being wee dramatic right now. Jack is apparently an undercover agent of some sort for a “secret” agency called The Center.    For the life of me, I can’t seem to see the point of “the center” – I’m not even sure what they’re doing exactly.

What happened in the story is that Jack was to befriend a certain target by the name of Leo McCormack in order for the center to accomplish their mission. There’s a twist at the end that I’ve seen coming from afar but I’m not irked about that. I get their point and why they have to do that to Jack. What I don’t understand is the whole purpose of what the center is doing – say for example, in the past. I mean, the whole thing behind the agency. Are they extracting bad people off the planet? Are they some sort of government body that kills off for war? Or what? Seriously man, it’s bonkers. What are they? This one question keeps me from actually connecting with the characters.

As for the romance aspect – it’s close to nil. There was a tiny bit of it but they’re like sixteen so on-page, it doesn’t really carry much points for the book.

Oddly enough (lols with this book being odd and all), the only character I enjoyed here is Johnny Monroe who’s just a side character and was cut off midway in the story.

As of this writing, I am halfway through the sequel. I know right? Why am I ranting about the agency and all that shit but I still continue reading the series. Well, I didn’t say I hate this story but I don’t love it either. Curiosity got the best of me I guess. I want to know what’s the whole deal about it.

I’m not jumping up and down about this book but it’s interesting to see how the author will go about the whole “center” thing and its set of characters.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

About The Author
MC Lee is a writer, reader and traveler with a lifelong passion for history and an avid interest in movies. MC writes both YA and adult fiction.