Action and adventure

The Hypnotists by Gordon Korman reminds me a little bit of the Percy Jackson series.  While there are no mythological creatures, there is a school for gifted children, and a hero that doesn't understand his legacy or his power.

Jax Opus is a typical twelve-year-old, or so he thinks.  There are his eyes; they sometimes change colors.  And, sometimes, people seem to do exactly what he says.  But, his gift isn't discovered until he attends a hypnotist's show.....and hypnotizes the star.  Suddenly he is brought to a prestigious institute, run by the respected Dr Mako.  There he learns that he has an extraordinary gift, and that he is the descendent from two very powerful hypnotic families.  As he develops his considerable talent, he discovers a rival group of hypnotists, and begins to suspect there is plot to use his gifts for evil intent.  Who can he trust?  Will he twart the plot?  Can he escape?

This was a quick, exciting read that will appeal to those that love a good battle between good guys and bad guys.  Especially when the good guys might not be perfect themselves.

Zombie games

I almost gave up on The End Games by T. Michael Martin.  I believe this is because it is more than just a zombie book.  It is a zombie tale told by a lover of first-person shooter video games, of which I am not.  This is one of the first books that made me realize my age.  Teens, especially teen boys, will love it.

It begins with seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother making their way through post-zombie-apocalyptic West Virginia.  Michael uses reflexes honed in the gaming world to navigate the dangers posed by the "Bellows" and by some of the uninflected survivors.  They are trying to make their way to the safe zone, without being totally sure of where they are.  Michael has regular communications with the "Game Master" who gives them clues on how to earn points and "win."  This is where the book nearly lost me.  While I can accept zombies, not so much the whole video game thing.  The purpose of the "game" is soon revealed, making the story much richer.  Michael must protect his little brother from all sorts of evil, as he realizes there may not be a safe zone.

His struggle to overcome both the real dangers of the world, and the imagined pitfalls of the game, as well as the insanity left in the world make this a worthwhile read.  The author is a film school graduate and it shows; the fight scenes reminded me of a great action flick.

Arrrgh........watch out for the Jolly Robin (yes, I do mean Robin)

I had gotten the book The High Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate by Scott Nash on a whim....I was a bit skeptical about a pirate story to begin with, let alone one in which the pirates are birds.  I must say, however, it was captivating, funny, and full of all the swashbuckling a pirate book requires.

Captain Blue Jay of the dread pirate ship Grosbeak is "generally the most bloodthirsty and fearsome pirate to sail the high skies."  Because of this reputation, most ships surrender their booty without even a fight.   This suits Jay just fine, as he is really quite caring and concerned about his crew.  His one obsession, besides treasure, is his collection of unusual eggs.  A battle with raccoons leads to a rare egg, like none Jay has ever seen.  Imagine his surprise when one of the crew, Junco, is inspired to SIT on the egg.  Her vigil is ultimately supported by the crew, and out hatches.....a goose.  Geese are considered "sky gods" and Jay can just imagine the value one would be on the crew.  The Captain and the crew begin to raise the homeless gosling, teaching him to be a pirate.  As the ship crashes and is stolen from them by the evil crow, Teach and his mob of thugs, Jay must inspire the lost goose, a mole, and the peasant sparrows to plan a daring rescue and escape.

There is so much that is appealing a out this story:  amazing illustrations, non-stereotypical roles, great plays on words.   Great fun for all to read! 

Not my cup of tea......

I read the first book in the Accidental Adventure series, by C. Alexander London, called We Are Not Eaten by Yaks.  For reasons I can't fully explain, it was so-so for me.  Blah.  Which is odd because it is full of adventure, whether the main characters want it or not!

Twins Celia and Oliver are the children of famous adventurers and even live in the Explorers Club with their father.  Their mother has gone missing and while they miss her, they really HATE going on adventures...they are hot, buggy and uncomfortable.  They would much rather watch TV all day.  Unfortunately, a bet forces them to search for their mother and on the way encounter Poison Witches, jump from a plane in a life-raft, and even meet a Tibetan god.  They had better win and get cable out of this!

 

I think kids will love this.  I found it a bit melodramatic for my taste.  For some reason it reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events, which wasn't my favorite, either.