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Zak Darke Series – Book I
Chris Ryan
Red Fox (Random House Children’s
Books)
6 January 2011 / ISBN 9781849410076
Teen / Thriller / London, Scotland and Mexico
Amazon
US
|| UK
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
Zachary Darke
is an ordinary 13-year-old until his parents are killed in a mysterious
incident. Sent to live with his unpleasant relations it looks as
though the good times are over – but somebody is following
him. When Zak confronts his stalker he finds himself plunged into
an exciting world of espionage and top secret missions. Promised
the information about why his parents died if he complies, he is
sent undercover to lift the lid on a drug lord in Mexico.
If there had been books as thrilling as this when I was younger
I wouldn’t have spent so much time reading nonfiction! This
one hits the ground running and does not let up until the end, and
I cannot imagine even the pickiest teen reader finding anything
uncool about a story concerning such a topical – and dangerous
– issue. Another great thing about this new series is that
the man who wrote it has actually been in the SAS and had this type
of adventure himself, which is why it all rings true. This writer
does plot better than characters and, notably, men better than women
(there is just one rather unrealistic female character), his main
skill being pace. I can imagine readers of both sexes enjoying it
although it is written with boys in mind rather than girls. Although
not part of the target audience myself I devoured it eagerly and
will be coming back for more. I would recommend this to anybody
of teen years or older who likes a truly riveting read.
Reviewer's
Note: Some violence
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