Boy vs Beast #12: Water Mutant

Boy vs Beast #12: Water Mutant by Mac Park (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 978-1-92193-171-0

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

After Kai's last successful battle a new secret room has opened up under the Border Guards lighthouse base in Australia. Kai and BC are enjoying the games in this new Flight Room when his alert warns that water from water land is spilling into mud land. Kai is sure that there must be a beast behind it but doesn't know which land the beast is in. It's time once more for the young Border Guard and his trusty dogbot to choose his battle gear, transport and face the newest mutant beast in Beastium.

Water Mutant is the latest title in the popular Boys vs Beast series. Boys love the gadgets, weird beasts, pests and the non-stop action. And the battle against Aquaterros in water land is mostly fought on a souped up hover board which will appeal to this young readership.

There are many more books in the series so boys from six years old and up can join Kai Masters on his quest to defend and protect Earth as he works his way towards promotion from Border Guard to Border Master.

The Last Thirteen : Book 7

The Last Thirteen : Book 7 by James Phelan (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-190-9

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

13 books. 13 nightmares. 1 destiny.

Sam's search for the Thirteen Dreamers leads him next to the Grand Canyon and to Cody, Dreamer number seven. But as the stakes grow more desperate, so does the enemy. And it is getting harder for Sam and his fellow dreamers to tell friend from foe.

This 7th instalment of the fast paced series is a scramble across America to once again be ahead in the race for the Dreamer’s Gate. Alex has been given his first mission and comes up against Stella's offsider, Matrix. Sam is following his newest nightmare, racing to get to Cody and the next gear while Lora and Eva are racing to save Sam after Eva's dream that he and Cody are walking into a trap.

This group of Dreamers need their dreams and nightmares to guide them, to lead them to the next destination. But dreams are not always reliable, their interpretation not always obvious, they can mean so many different things. And, as Sam and his friends have discovered, expected outcomes can be changed by situations in real time being altered.

Will the Dreamers feel more in control, or more scared for the fate of the world when they uncover what Stella and Matrix are really up to?

This book sits right at the midway point of the series. It is impossible to read at a leisurely pace. Pages packed with dialogue and action, and chapters with changing viewpoints, ending in cliff hangers, all accentuate the sense of urgency. The ambiguity of the dreams and their meanings, along with the swing of allegiances of some of the players, make this an addictive series.

The physical package is attractive as well. Each volume is slim, a different colour and has subtle clues on the cover as to what lies within the pages. The spines, lined up together on a bookshelf, announce the countdown.

The 39 Clues Cahill vs Vespers Book 6: Day of Doom

The 39 Clues Cahill vs Vespers Book 6: Day of Doom by David Baldacci (Scholastic Inc)

HB RRP $17.99

ISBN 978-0-545–29844-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Thirteen year old Dan Cahill and his older sister Amy are running out of time. This will be their last chance to save their friends, family and ultimately thousands of people from Vesper One's horrific plot. In a desperate race from Washington DC to deep in the Cascade Mountains, the siblings need to decide who they can trust to keep them safe whilst following the twists and turns - led by fate and Isabel Kabra.

Each book in this popular 39 Clues series is written by a different author, giving each instalment a slightly different feel and this title does feel a little younger than the previous few. This is probably mostly due to the dramatic writing tone and atmosphere that Baldacci brings to Day of Doom, the final instalment in the Cahill's vs. Vespers series. David Baldacci is a writer well known in the adult action/thriller genre and he certainly keeps the action pumped and the reader wound tightly right up to the final denouement.

Another aspect of the writing I enjoyed is the way the recap of characters and events is woven into the beginning of the story. Baldacci has cleverly reminded the readers who is being held hostage, who is on the Cahill's side and how the plot has been progressing, without retelling or going over previous ground. And this recap is needed. By the beginning of this book there are many characters, some of which have switched sides and allegiances countless times.

This is an action packed finale which will keep readers on their toes, unwilling to put the book down.

Day of Doom comes with six clue cards which can help intrepid readers become part of the adventure on line at www.the39clues.com.

After the pages close on this final Cahill vs. Vespers adventure, a new one starts immediately with Nowhere to Run, the first book in Unstoppable, the third series in The 39 Clues.

The 39 Clues Cahill vs Vespers Book 5: Trust No One by Linda Sue Park (Scholastic Inc)

HB RRP $17.99

ISBN 978-0-545–29843-8

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Thirteen year old Dan Cahill and his older sister Amy are in a race against time. Their elusive enemies, the Vespers, have requested an impossible task in return for the lives of Dan and Amy's family and friends whom the Vespers have kidnapped. Now, they also know that there is mole amongst them. And it could be someone very close to Dan and Amy.

What will they have to do to find the missing ancient manuscript and keep Atticus safe from the deadly Isabel Kabra? And who is Vesper One, the leader of the terrifying group who are pulling the strings of the Cahill's life? This time the mission may just be too much for the children to complete.

This is the next instalment in the muti-platformed popular series The 39 Steps. It is an action packed thrilling adventure which begins and ends in the thick of the roller coaster ride. The story line is full of intrigue and feels like a young spy story with likeable, resourceful, brave main characters and their darkly evil nemesis.

The book comes with six clue cards which can help intrepid readers become part of the adventure on line at www.the39clues.com. 

You Choose: The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove

You Choose: The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove by George Ivanoff, illustrated by James Hart (Random House Australia)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 9780857983831

Also available as an ebook

ISBN 9780857985453

Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

  

With its manga-inspired cover The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove is the first book in this new series called YOU CHOOSE … aimed at boys seven years and up.

In the vein of the Choose Your Own Adventure stories of the 80s (devoured by my chapter-book-shy sons), George Ivanoff is on to a winner with this latest addition to his 70+ children’s books.

The scenario is fast and furious. You are on a beach holiday. You find an old map … aye me hearties, a Pirate Map! While your parents read on the beach you wander over the cliffs and find a tunnel leading to …

No. You’re going to have to go down that path yourself; I’m heading back to choose another scenario.

The opening pages are full of promise: treasure, pirates, Dead Man’s Cove and One-Eyed William who had a ‘huge ruby in his deformed empty eye socket.’

Ivanoff has speckled the stories with interesting characters. Who could resist Professor Wagner with his ‘mismatched eyes – one small and squinty, the other wide and staring.’ In the museum there’s the ‘tall woman with spiky blonde hair’ who ‘looks as if she’s been sucking a lemon,’ and what’s a pirate story without a macaw named Mr Fibuli and a town mayor who speaks pirate-talk.

Fun puns run amok in the town: Toys Argh Us, Long John’s Silverware and Shiver Me Timbers Hardware.

There are numerous pathways for the reader to explore. Each path choice is about a page in length, which makes for quick, fun reading. The stories are totally plot driven and each page number is superimposed with skull and crossbones for added effect.

With 19 endings, there are plenty of scenarios to follow. Will you discovery the secret stone, that when pressed, opens into a cavernous pirate graveyard filled with Indiana Jones-like booby traps? Can you escape fast enough not to be skewered by a spear?

Black and white etchings of coins, treasure chests and maps smatter the pages as ‘you’ the reader make the decisions and take control of the storyline. The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove is a swashbuckling start to the series.

Spirit Animals Book 2: Hunted

Spirit Animals Book 2: Hunted by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic Inc)

PB RRP $12.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-999-8

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Hunted, the second book in the Spirit Animals series, follows Wild Born, where the four young heroes of Erdas - Connor, Abeke, Mailin and Rollan - found the ‘Granite Ram’ talisman, the first of the lost talismans they are searching for. Now they are back at Greenhaven, an island fortress which serves as the headquarters of the Greencloaks, guardians of Erdas. Here they train hard to come together as a team and bond with their spirit animals, the Four Fallen Great Beasts.

But when word is sent that the next Great Beast, Rumfuss the Boar has been traced to a remote castle in the wilds of Eura, the children must set off in a hurry before the Conquerors learn of the location and beat them to the talisman. Rumour is growing also, of the Devourer using Bile to force bonds between his followers and spirit animals.  And that this unnatural bonding gives humans more control over their animals, making them even more powerful.

The books in the Spirit Animals series are all written by different authors. Hunted is by Maggie Stiefvater, author of many popular fantasy novels for children and teens. She continues the quest of the children and its many threads with great skill. The writing is fabulous and evocative, with the relationships - both between the four children, and with their animals - coming to the fore.

As the children grow they are tested. Themes such as loyalty, trust, rules and leadership are all explored within the context of an exciting adventure story where it is the children themselves directing the path while still learning where they need to accept adult help.

The Spirit Animals Series will suit middle school readers mostly, between grades five and eight and is Scholastics’ new multiplatform release. Read the book, and then discover on-line the action role-playing game, complete with a spirit animal of your own, at www.spiritanimals.scholastic.com

Boy vs Beast #10: Air Mutant

Boy vs Beast #10: Air Mutant by Mac Park (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 978-1-92193-169-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Kai Masters is in his test room developing a new battle weapon which fires balls of ice as well as wind when a new alert warns him of trouble in wind land. With his dogbot BC, he takes the bullet train back to base to prepare for battle with another mutant beast. This battle may be harder than the last one.

Boy vs Beast is popular among young boys. With all the gadgets and futuristic transportation, pictures to illustrate the choices Kai makes when choosing battle gear and the entertaining pests (like the flying jellyfish which hurl toxic balls), it's no wonder young boys love this series. It feels Ike an action cartoon series with the levels, land layout, weapons and fighting strategies of a computer game.

In Air Mutant, Kai and BC battle new beast Flamatoraq. If the beast wins, it gains more powers, gets bigger and stronger. If Kai wins, new rooms at base may be unlocked, his battle gear upgraded and with the beast safely transported to the Outlands, Earth will be safe once more.

Short chapters, large clear writing, lots of pictures and many more titles makes this series great for young boys and beginner readers, six years and older.

Boy vs Beast #9: Rock Mutant

Boy vs Beast #9: Rock Mutant by Mac Park (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 978-1-92193-168-0

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Kai Masters is a Border Guard. He and his dog BC help keep Earth safe from Beasts by defending the border wall between Earth and Beastium. While working on new battle gear in his new test room, Kai gets an alert saying there is a problem in rock land. Somehow water is getting in and if the lands mix, it will cause many problems including the possibility of mutant beasts, as yet unknown to the Border Guards. He needs to get in there and sort the problem before it gets out of hand.

Boy vs Beast is popular among young boys, especially those who love computer games. The series has a gaming feel to it with its structure, the levels Border Guards aim for and the achievements systems awarded for battles which open new rooms back at base.

Rock Mutant introduces is the first of the mutant beasts, caused by the accidental overlapping of the lands. The concept of Kai's gear mash-up is also a first for the series and now Kai has the ability to combine two of his battle gear devices to produce an even more effective one to battle the mixed up beasts.

Weird and wonderful battle gear, flash transport, a robotic dog and lots of action provide an exciting ride for young readers to lose themselves in a superhero tale of saving the world from horrible beasts... Over and over again.

This short chapter book (it's under seventy pages) with plenty of graphics and the battle in comic format, is suitable for six years and up and will particularly suit boys beginning to read.

The Last Thirteen Book 6: 8

The Last Thirteen Book 6: 8 by James Phelan (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-189-3

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Sam’s dreams are getting more unpredictable. But with this rise in instability comes the ability for him to manipulate them more and change the outcomes of real life occurrences. His latest nightmare leads him to a marina in Cuba where he is taking shelter from a storm with Tobias, Xavier and Rapha. And also to Maria, the 8^th Dreamer.

The next piece of the Da Vinci machine lies deep beneath the ocean surface somewhere within an ancient shipwreck and this time they are not only trying to avoid Hans and Stella, but also Scarface, a very angry shark. Along with the treasure, they must also find Maria’s father.

After the slower pace of the last instalment, this book is non-stop adrenalin from jumping off the cliff in the jungle to the cliff hanging ending in Florida. Alongside Sam’s mission in Cuba there are two more fast-paced storylines running. 

Eva and Lora have been kidnapped by Mac, a rogue member of the Dreamers Council, who is trying to convince Eva to join forces with him and Solaris. He seems to think that Eva is more important than they currently know and may even be the most important of the Thirteen Dreamers.

Meanwhile, the Agency/Enterprise alliance have tracked Stella down to an abandoned bunker in Canada and Alex, with his mother Phoebe and a back-up team of Guardians have travelled there to investigate what Stella may be interested in.

With very short chapters jumping in-between these three concurrently running stories, there is barely time to draw breath and this ramps up the action even further. Every time the focus leaves a character, the reader is left anxious about the heroes’ predicament. This encourages even faster reading.

The deeper into the series I get, the more invested I am in the characters and the more complex and interesting the plot becomes. I really like that the lines between good and bad are not always as clear cut as they would first seem and although a high level of suspension of disbelief needs to be maintained, once hooked, it is a wild ride.

This series has a serialised single storyline which will continue at the rate of one book a month until the conclusion is reached in the thirteenth book. Also check out www.thelast13.com, an online companion page with VIP Access. There are 13 prizes to be won with each book release, e-newsletters, access code breakers and many more features.

James Phelan is an Australian author who has written adult thrillers as well as the Lachlan Fox series and the Alone trilogy for older teenagers.

The Last Thirteen Book 5: 9

The Last Thirteen Book 5: 9 by James Phelan (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-188-6

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

After the destruction of the Academy’s campus in the Swiss Alps and Enterprise’s headquarters in the Silicon Valley, both agencies need time to regather and get themselves up and running again. And with the ever increasing amount of enemies, it seems a good idea for them to begin to work together.

While the Agencies are rebuilding however, the race does not stop. Sam must follow his next dream to the heart of the Amazon jungle to find the next Dreamer and another piece for the Da Vinci machine which will lead them to the Dreamer’s Gate. And Sam must work fast. As well as the usual dangers which lurk deep in the jungle, Sam and Rapha must also contend with Stella, Hans and their armies of guardians.

This fifth instalment of The Last Thirteen series has a much slower pace than the previous ones. It is one where factions regroup, the story line is strengthened and relationships are explored a bit deeper. After the full-on action it is a nice change - a breather really - to slow down and have some of the fragmented ideas about the Dreamers and their role in the world generally (and the Race specifically), explained more fully. The roles of the Agencies, Enterprise and the Academy are also fleshed out more here.

Then, in the last third of the book, Sam’s adventure in Brazil begins and the action steps up. Deep in the heart of the Amazonian Jungle, Sam and Rapha have an Indiana Jones-like experience looking for a lost city high on the mountain peaks which clouds and mist forever shroud. They need to be mentally sharp to overcome the booby traps the deserted city throws up before them.

This series has a serialised single storyline which will continue at the rate of one book a month until the conclusion is reached in the thirteenth book. Also check out www.thelast13.com, an online companion page with VIP Access. There are 13 prizes to be won with each book release, e-newsletters, access code breakers and many more features.

James Phelan is an Australian author who has written adult thrillers as well as the Lachlan Fox series and the Alone trilogy for older teenagers.

The Last Thirteen Book 4: 10

The Last Thirteen Book 4: 10 by James Phelan (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-187-9

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

13 books. 13 nightmares. 1 destiny.

After letting Solaris get away again, Sam and the Academy are even more determined to find the remaining 10 Dreamers. And Sam will need their help if he’s to have a shot at saving the world. But with more traitors emerging, and many different factions splintering, it becomes even harder for Sam and the other children to know who they can turn to for help.

This time the setting is Paris and it doesn’t take Sam long to locate the 10^th Dreamer. It’s not easy, however, to convince her of her part in the Last Thirteen. Her parents are Enterprise Agents. Can they be trusted? 

With the Council of Dreamers infiltrated and torn apart, Guardians defecting and the destruction of both Enterprise Headquarters and the Academy Base, Sam’s world is collapsing. All this brings some positives though. The Da Vinci links get stronger and more certain, the Academy and Enterprise Agency make moves to work together a bit more and against all hope, one of their old friends may still be alive. Once again, the end leaves readers at a cliff hanger, this time with Sam and Zara in an impossible situation facing new enemies.

This is a really gripping series for lower high-school aged children. This series has a serialised single storyline which will continue at the rate of one book a month until the conclusion is reached in the thirteenth book. If you have a look closely at the montage on the cover you will be able to spot all thirteen Dreamers, their clues and the locations of their ongoing search. Also check out www.thelast13.com, an online companion page with VIP Access. There are 13 prizes to win with each book release, e-newsletters, access code breakers and many more features.

James Phelan is an Australian author who has written adult thrillers as well as the Lachlan Fox series and the Alone trilogy for older teenagers.

Star Wars: Jedi Academy

Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-74362-056-4
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Roan has been planning to follow in the footsteps of his father and older brother by attending pilot school after finishing primary. But his hopes are dashed when he’s not accepted and decides to take the place he has mysteriously been offered at Jedi School.

The mixed format – comics, reports, diary entries, newspaper pages, holomail – plays a large part in moving the story along and brings out the personalities of Roan and his class mates. I found it interesting how much the pictures of the characters (all different creatures from the Star Wars planets) influenced my perceptions and feelings about them.

School life is reassuringly the same everywhere, even at the Jedi Academy, and Roan faces the same sort of uncertainties that many young boys of middle school age face - feelings of isolation, dealing with bullies, popularity, girls and growing up.

I’m not an expert on the Star Wars world but there are many subtle jokes and Star Wars references (I did love the ‘barbaric Yawp’ nod to movie Dead Poets Society) and I’m sure Star Wars fans will uncover many more than I did.

Beneath the setting, strange creatures, planets and powers, this is ultimately a story about  fitting in and growing up. Even in a galaxy far, far away...

This fun read will be a hit with young Star Wars fans.

Alice-Miranda Shines Bright

Alice-Miranda Shines Bright by Jacqueline Harvey (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $15.95
ISBN 9781742752907
Also available as an ebook
ISBN 9781742752914
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

For a seven-year-old, Alice-Miranda is certainly savvy. This is Jacqueline Harvey’s eighth book in the popular and award-winning series. It doesn’t matter what order you read these books in. They’re quite “stand-alone” and handily accompanied by a “cast of characters” just in case the reader needs a little reminder.

Alice-Miranda Shines Bright is set back at school. It’s nearly the end of the school year and Alice-Miranda is puzzled as to why her friend Jacinta’s moods have become “darker than a thundercloud.” For the first time ever, the chirpy Alice-Miranda has “absolutely no idea of what to do next.”

With the plot of pre-teenage angst threading along in Jacinta’s story, there are other mysteries to solve. One of their neighbours, Reginald Parker (who has been in a coma for three years) has gone missing. Alice-Miranda and her friend, Millie, soon get onto the case. They ride their ponies, Bonaparte and Chops across the hills and through the woodlands while they communicate on walkie-talkies.

As they follow the clues to solve one mystery, another is evolving. The girls have found a teeny entry into a cave in the hills and have discovered gold. The trouble is, there are a few other interested and greedy people after it as well.

What has happened to Reginald Parker and why is Jacinta so moody? With her usual bright and bubbly demeanour, Alice-Miranda goes headlong into adventure and takes her readers with her.

Jacqueline Harvey’s Alice-Miranda series is hitting the high time overseas, and so it should. There’s innocence mixed with adventure and a rollicking good time for the reader, 8+.

Joshua Dread — The Nameless Hero

Joshua Dread — The Nameless Hero by Lee Bacon (Hardie Grant EGMONT)

ISBN 978 174297412 5

PB $16.95 RRP

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

For those not familiar with Joshua Dread from the first book in the series, he's the twelve year old son of super-villains who has super powers himself — he can make things explode. He lives in a town called Sheepsdale where he hangs out with Milton (a normal kid) and Sophie, the daughter of Captain Justice, his parents' arch nemesis. This story begins on the last day of school before Summer break. The kids are looking forward to a long relaxing holiday, but that seems unlikely when they are attacked by a mutant shark librarian. Then Joshua receives a mysterious note inviting him to a Summer camp for Gyfted children. 

At the camp, Joshua finds he has been selected to form the greatest super hero team of all time, along with Sophie, a teen celebrity called nFinity and Miranda, whose superpower is foresight. Milton is also allowed along and they are suited up in lycra. Circumstances throw them into action and they are whisked off to New York to battle a super-villain called the Multiplier. Joshua's heroic deeds launch him into the public eye as the Nameless Hero. His high profile doesn't help the team camaraderie, with jealousies springing up. Joshua also discovers his old enemy Vex, has resurfaced to cause more mayhem in the world. 

Action packed, this installment in a series obviously far from finished is highly entertaining. It explores everyday issues such as family expectations and peer pressure in a very non-everyday family and group of friends. At home Joshua contends with zombies in the basement, a homicidal pot plant and a eager but dysfunctional robot called Elliot. His parents actually seem quite OK with him turning to the good side. In fact, they don't seem too villainous at all.

After some anxious moments, Joshua and his friends dispatch the bad guys, but Vex is still at large and business clearly still unfinished. Readers will need to wait to see what happens next, but in the meantime it seems the super kids can enjoy their Summer break.       

EJ12 Girl Hero: Spooked!

EJ12 Girl Hero: Spooked! by Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-150-5
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Shine’s EJ12 (known also as twelve-year-old schoolgirl Emma Jacks), is now the leader of her own team. She is very excited about being OM (On Mission) with her friends, but is she brave enough for this particularly scary mission? She cannot watch the whole of Fright School, a scary zombie movie that everyone else seems to have watched. So will she find the courage to see this scary task through?

Across England, castles are being broken into at the stroke of midnight by Lady Darcy Kerrin, the ghost of historic bad girl and lady-in-waiting to the queen. Lady Darcy is also believed to be one of the original members of Shadow, the evil agency that Shine is battling against.

This mission gives EJ12 a chance to see her friend EK12, solve more baffling codes and discover some truths about her own ancestry, but she and her team are working against the clock to outsmart some very scary spirits.

Spooked! is the 17th title in this popular spy series for young girls and this one will give an edge of thrill as ghosts, bats and haunted castles come into play.

EJ12 Girl Hero: Time to Shine

EJ12 Girl Hero: Time to Shine by Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-138-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Emma Jacks has a secret identity. As well being as an apparently normal twelve-year-old school girl, she is also EJ12, a code breaker for Shine, an agency responsible for protecting the world from Shadows evil plans. In Time to Shine, both of Emma’s worlds are going through an upheaval as her close friend and Shine team-member, Elle (EK12), is moving to England. Emma is having trouble coming to terms with this and so begins the tale of the biggest change in her life – her recruitment to Shine.

As an Agent-in-Training, Emma is faced with many challenges and situations, the hardest of which is skydiving. But she faces them all with the same quick thinking, bravery and focus that singled her out for the spy agency in the first place.

When evil agency Shadow leaks oil into the ocean, demanding a ransom, Emma is thrown into her first mission. She hopes she is up to the task. After all, baby seal’s lives are at stake. This is the sixteenth book in the popular and entertaining series for young girls.

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops #3: End Game

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops #3: End Game by Gabrielle Lord (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-520-4
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Cal Ormond has been warned – 90 days is all he has to expose and stop a deadly plan. And in End Game, the final instalment of the Black Ops trilogy, the countdown has reached 30. This leaves Cal and Ryan racing for their lives to escape the volcano eruption on Shadow Island.

Still in the dark about Damien Thoroughgood’s evil plans, unsure of the identity of the mole in SI-6 and fearing for the life of his twin brother, Cal seems to have an impossible task before him. And the moral dilemma of accepting Damien’s dangerous and criminal mission in exchange for Ryan’s life has shaken Cal. How far will he have to go to save Ryan? But with the unwavering support of his close friends Boges and Winter, he faces the challenge head on.

While the pace in this book is slower in many places than the previous two, it leaves space to breathe and think in between all the action, and it is here that all the elements of the mystery begin to piece together. And even in the quieter moments, the reader is never able to shake the feeling that Damien’s plans will have earth shattering consequences on a world wide scale.

End Game is a satisfying end to an absorbing, heart stopping and addictive series which young teens will devour. Gabrielle Lord, an Australian author, is well known for her gripping adult crime novels. She has written 17 books in the Conspiracy 365 series for young adults.

Gabrielle Lord will be appearing at Writers Unleashed festival in Gymea (NSW) on 16 November 2013. To see the programme or for tickets go to http://shirewritersfestival.weebly.com.

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops #2: Hunted

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops #2: Hunted by Gabrielle Lord (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-519-8
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Cal is still undercover on Shadow Island. Beneath the surface of this tropical paradise is a labyrinth of tunnels and caves, strange machinery, advanced robotic gadgets and many secrets to be unwrapped. Whatever Damian and his crew of teen leaders have planned for the world, it doesn’t look good.

Cal, Ryan and Sophie need to locate a group of captured runaways, free the prisoner on rock island and work out what is being planned for the elite teams of kids who have been trained inside the mountain. And they are running out of time. Even more pressing than the ninety-day deadline they seem to be working to, the volcano on the island is making some serious rumblings. Will Cal be able to get everyone off the island in time?

Written in short bites of time and action, Hunted is a book which keeps readers engaged, on the edge of their seat, and wanting more. Like the first in the series, Missing, the story ends on a heart-stopping cliffhanger.

But it is not only the action which will keep readers coming back for more. The plot is full of intrigue, riddles, codes and other puzzles to keep the mind racing along with the heart. It is lucky that the trilogy’s conclusion End Game, is not far behind.

Gabrielle Lord, an Australian author, is well known for her gripping adult crime novels. She has written 17 books in the Conspiracy 365 series for young adults.

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops #1: Missing

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops #1: Missing by Gabrielle Lord (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-518-1
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Cal is on an undercover mission to save his brother, and the world.

After the dangerous adventures in Lord’s previous Conspiracy books, Cal is not about to get a break. His twin brother Ryan disappears, he receives a cryptic message saying simply 90 days, and then he is abducted and recruited by SI-6. All these events are connected to the mysterious Shadow Island, a get-away resort for troubled teens.

So with help from Ryan on the island, and back-up assistance at home from Winter, Boges and the mysterious SI-6, Cal launches himself, once again, into deep trouble – surrounded by treacherous terrain, secret hide-outs and suspicious behaviour by the camp leaders.

Missing is the beginning of a new adventure trilogy for teens. Explosive action, intriguing mysteries, chilling suspense and short bursts of activity (some sections are only a page long) ensure that readers will be unable to put the book down until its cliff-hanger ending. Then they will be rushing out for the next in the series.

The characters are believable and likeable. Cal and Ryan (identical twins) play the switcheroo game with some reluctance but their relationship with each other grows as a result. They investigate with bravery and caution but with heart pumping action, which does not let up even at the last paragraph. The section headings mark the day, place and time, and the page numbers go backwards, giving a real sense of urgency in the countdown.

This is an action packed, fast moving adventure story for early teens. Both boys and girls will enjoy this series. Gabrielle Lord, an Australian author, is well known for her gripping adult crime novels. She has written 17 books in the Conspiracy 365 series for young adults.

The Third Door

The Third Door by Emily Rodda (Omnibus Books)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-86291– 9142-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Emily Rodda is a mesmerising storyteller. She makes the reader hold their breath and plunge into Rye and Sonia’s worlds as they venture once again beyond the safety of The Weld’s outer walls. This time Rye is able to choose the ancient wooden door and - with his three companions, Sonia, Sholto and Dirk, - embark on their third quest to save their home from the skimmers.

Skimmers have always terrorised life in the Weld at night, but the children’s discovery beyond the Silver Door, intensified this threat. The Lord of Shadows is breeding skimmers, or slays, which can attack in the daylight hours too.

Rye and his friends face many perils as they use their charm, wits, magic and all weapons at their disposal to discover the answer to their problems. But the source of danger may be closer to home than they realise.

Having not read the first two books in the Three Doors Trilogy, there were times in the story I felt confused and a little lost. But I was kept fully engaged by the richness of the worlds Rodda has created, the beautiful writing and the depth she achieves in the wonderfully complex and likeable characters which populate the adventure.

This is a story which explores, not just the black and white of people – and societies – actions, but also the many shades of grey. Mysterious and intriguing, this book was well paced with quieter parts allowing space to digest information and admire the scenery before being plunged back into action.

An exhilarating ride for all lovers of fantasy, magic and epic adventures from 10 years and up.
The Third Door is the final book after The Golden Door and The Silver Door. Readers would get the most out of them if they read them in order.

Emily Rodda has written many popular fantasy series for children including Deltora Quest, Rowan of Rin and Fairy Realm.