This is the third story featuring Gavin Shawlens, a biochemist who gets caught up in bad guys plans for world domination in the previous two books.
This installment has him on the run with special forces trained Zoe as he has knowledge that must not get out. Problem is, Gavin has no idea what this knowledge is so they go on the run whilst trying to find out what this knowledge might be with very few friends.
This is a fast paced thriller with a few deus ex machina twists. I found it easy reading and I enjoyed the relationship that Zoe and Gavin have now built up.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TFS63C2/?tag=jookuf-21
Top Banana is a world away from this authors previous books. It is a light slightly comedic gentle look at Steve's life from under his mother's thumb via becoming a superhero (of what, we're not sure) ending up a nice young man.
I din't find this a particularly laugh out loud story. It was more a gently humorous tale. I read it more with a smile on my face than a chortle on my chops.
I think I preferred the story early on when Steve was working in the grocers rather than when he started coming into his own later on.
The words I use to describe this are gentle and nice. I felt content after finishing this.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UGKD8KI/?tag=jookuf-21
Any book about a young boy going off to a special school with a bit of magic will inevitably be compared to Harry Potter. I've not read the HP books but have seen the films and this is nothing like them.
The young main character, Michael wins a rare scholarship along with a friend from school. Michael is 12 and I was picturing my nephew who is clever and just turned 13, but Michael seemed older, especially as he has to learn things such as his special powers and also quite serious fighting. There are two enemies that want to get rid of each other, but which side is good and which side is evil?
Even though I'm not the target audience, I enjoyed this story. It kept me gripped and interested and entertained. More importantly, it left me wondering who really was the "hero" of the story. Although titled as Part 1, this is definitely a stand alone with a satisfying conclusion, whilst setting things up for further stories.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TXJ4GVS/?tag=jookuf-21
In the near future a spaceship sets off to Mars, its 6 person crew made up of more mature members. They are all capable of doing each other's jobs. It is planned to be a long mission there and back.
The first half of this book is the journey there. A few things go wrong, but nothing too bad. This part of the story is interesting enough in a travelling across the universe kind of way. I liked finding out the "boring" jobs they had to do to keep themselves alive and on track.
The second half is what happens when they get there and the consequences of what happened. This then turned into a tense journey. I liked this half even better than the first. I didn't expect what happened to happen. I don't read much sci-fi, but this was a great story. I was very much gripped with wanting to just keep on reading and hoping for "my" ending to happen.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OV9EJR6/?tag=jookuf-21
This is a very tense psychological thriller. Amy wakes up in a strange locked room after being kidnapped. She recounts what led to her being there from her happy life to being stalked and losing her family and friends.
I read this in just two sittings, I just didn't want to put it down as I followed Any into her spiral of despair and how she planned to get out of it. The story is told in Amy's first person, so we are introduced to her past life as she recalls it. To me this made the story very insular and claustrophobic and kept me wanting to know more.
I'd say this is a good read, but it made me feel creeped out. Just what a good psychological thriller should do.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00V8MZ784/?tag=jookuf-21
