Looking for some exciting books for young adults filled with non-stop action and mystery puzzles? Then check out these page turners by Australian thriller author Gabrielle Lord and sci fi author K.A. Applegate.
Conspiracy 365: January
When a strange man warns fifteen-year-old Callum Ormond that his life will be in danger for the next 365 days, Cal figures the guy’s just a weirdo. But that’s before someone sabotages Cal’s boat and exposes him to a shark attack. Or before his uncle steals messages that Cal’s dead father left for him. And it’s definitely before Cal’s abducted by thugs who demand he tell them about something called the “Ormond Riddle.”
With the help of his friend Boges, Cal must figure out how a secret his father discovered before he died fits into these attacks. But as events and enemies conspire to turn Cal into a hunted fugitive, he realizes he’ll have to uncover this secret while hiding from several dangerous groups. And the clock is ticking…
The first book in Australian author Gabrielle Lord’s new “Conspiracy 365” series, Conspiracy 365: January offers fast-paced adventure full of cliffhangers and near-death experiences that will keep readers turning pages. There's hardly a chapter that doesn't show Cal fighting for his life, hiding from enemies, or trying to solve the mystery puzzle his father left behind.
That said, based on this book, Conspiracy 365 is the literary equivalent of a popcorn film – meaning characters can act illogically just to keep the plot moving. For instance, after escaping his kidnappers, Cal doesn’t go to the police because… his kidnappers told him not to. While Lord eventually creates a better excuse for Cal to avoid the cops, such lapses in judgment do create some annoying plot holes.
Moreover, while the story has plenty of action, readers learn very little about Cal’s father's mystery puzzle. As this is the start of a twelve-book series (with each book covering a month from Cal’s 365 day mission), the mystery puzzle should slowly be revealed in later installments – but it would have been nice for readers to learn a few details about this “history-changing secret” early on.
Still, for readers looking for fast paced entertainment, Conspiracy 365: January will hold their interest, and make them want to check out the second book (due February 2010) to see how Cal deals with the cliffhanger ending Lord leaves him in at the end of January.
The Hork Bajir Chronicles
For as long as he can remember, Dak-Hamee has been an outsider – a mutant genius among his simple-minded alien race the Hork-Bajir. So when the Andalites, a group of highly intelligent aliens, land on Dak’s home world, Dak is overjoyed – especially when he develops a friendship with Aldrea, a young female Andalite who introduces Dak to the beauty of Andalite science and culture.
But soon Dak learns that his planet has become the latest target in a war between the Andalites and the Yeerks – mind-controlling alien parasites who intend to use the powerful Hork-Bajir as foot soldiers in their army. As Dak and Aldrea try to turn the Hork-Bajir from a peaceful race into a guerrilla strike force to drive the Yeerks out, they find the battles are turning the friendly Hork-Bajir into something ugly.
A prequel to K.A. Applegate’s best-selling Animorphs series, The Hork-Bajir Chronicles tells a gripping and tragic story about the horrible effects of war on everyone, from soldiers to innocents caught in the crossfire. Applegate tells this alien story using multiple perspectives, letting readers see the war’s devastation from Dak-Hamee, Aldrea, and a Yeerk’s point of view. In doing so, the book becomes less of a “good guys vs. bad guys” alien story and more of a cautionary tale that shows how war dehumanizes everyone.
Find more reviews of adventure books for kids at Wormhole Pirates on Orbis 3 and Pirate Fiction Books for Kids.
Applegate, K.A. The Hork-Bajir Chronicles. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1998. ISBN: 0-439-04291-7
Lord, Gabrielle. Conspiracy 365: January. Tulsa: Kane Miller. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-935279-49-5
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