Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Peter Jay Black - Shockwave (Urban Outlaws) - Book Review (Bloomsbury 2016)

The Urban Outlaws have been infected! Hector Del Sarto used them to spread the deadly Medusa virus and now the whole of London is in lockdown. Only Hector and his father have the antidote. Can Jack, Charlie, Obi, Slink and Wren work together to bring down the Del Sartos once and for all? The whole city depends on them!

One day, a team of super-skilled kids popped into Peter Jay Black's head; that was the day the URBAN OUTLAWS was born. The first book in this fantastic series was published back in March 2014, which only seems like yesterday. The authors love of gadgets and films have made a fantastic impact on the following series. The second book was entitled  "Black Out" and the third book "Lockdown". Both were published by Bloomsbury in 2015 with fantastically cool and vibrant book covers. Each book followed the characters through a series of impossible missions that left the reader hooked from the very first page.

The plot line in book four "Counterstrike" was extra special in many ways. It is definitely my personal favourite and was out early this year. I have loved every minute of this series and I hope that you do too, if you've not already done so. I have flexed my fantasy wings and flown higher than Mount Everest, even landing on the summit due to big action bangs in every book. I have really come to love the characters and their individual personalties as if they were old and new friends. Every adventure has stayed fresh in my mind until the next instalment is unleashed. 

We have now arrived at the latest book, SHOCKWAVE. As the book title might suggest, in more ways than one (giving nothing away), this could be the last pages that we read, but I really hope not! Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren face their toughest challenge in a fantastic high-stakes battle to save their lives and everybody on the planet. The clock is ticking and so will your heartbeat as the action unfolds in this gripping and engaging mission to defeat Hector and the deadly virus. The story is told with heart and gusto; it has many chapters jammed packed with exhilarating action and adventure.   

The imaginative qualities found in all of the books will rival the dreams of kids. Any reluctant reader will drop into any of the stories and really enjoy them, as they are fun, fresh and totally cool. All of the characters are different and fantastically written, with brilliant personalties that any reader (regardless of age or gender) will relate to. There are characters who are creative with gadgets e.g. a techno geek who is good with computers and surveillance as well sporty and action seeking characters. Each person brings their skills  to make a great team as they all want to make a difference in the world in order to make it a better place for everybody. 

This is a fantastically feel good series for everyone; it is smart, funny and a bucketful of entertainment, but what will happen now? Have we seen the last of the Urban Outlaws? 

Peter Jay Black - Urban Outlaws: Blackout - Book Review - (Bloomsbury)

Book Synopsis: Power is out. Security is down. Computers hacked. The world's most destructive computer virus is out of control and the pressure is on for the Urban Outlaws to destroy it. Jack knows that it's not just the world's secrets that could end up in the wrong hands. The secret location of their bunker is at the fingertips of many and the identities of the Urban Outlaws are up for grabs. But capturing the virus feels like an almost impossible mission until they meet Hector. The Urban Outlaws know they need his help, but they have made some dangerous enemies. They could take a risk and win - or lose everything ...

Book Review: We are zipping straight into the next mission BLACKOUT with the URBAN OUTLAWS: Jack, Charlie, Slink, Obi and Wren. If you have read the first book in this series, then you might remember these bunch of quick-thinking, super-skilled kids who live to right societies wrongs from their secret bunker deep beneath the city of London. This sequel retains all of the great magical ingredients from the first book: action, suspense, surprises, spills and cool gadgets as well as the occasional and exhilarating chase scene.

This story plays like a fast-paced movie vision. It will give you a thrilling and exhilarating read right down to the very last page. However, the plot in this book is more established; the previous story history is only briefly touched upon and, in my opinion, makes this encounter a cracking sequel. 

I really liked the introduction to the new character Hector, who is an extremely talented hacker. He bursts onto the scene with a great deal of cunning moves and gusto actions. An extra element of excitement is added to the plot, which may actually pose more questions and create an air of mystery. 

The story also has a side plot running through it, which is clever, well written and totally absorbing. This makes for good reading and gives another dimension to a kaleidoscope of an adventure that will keep the reader entertained. The other good aspect about this book is that it will appeal to both boys and girls, as the story is written on so many levels. The characters are all different with unique talents enabling children to be able to relate them. 

I'm really pleased to say that this is another sure fire winner. It will engage any reader who loves a great story that is told in a no nonsense way. One strong point to mention are the detailed descriptions, which are all wrapped up in the author's imagination and highlight what it is like to be a kid. The other good point is the humour - the laughs and the crazy friendships between all of the characters is a strength in this plot. It is something that many authors just don't get right, but Peter Jay Black does. 

The book has a modern day hi-tech feel about it, from the cool gadgets, computers and surveillance to capture everyones imagination. Everything is included to keep the reluctant reader hanging on for more and, for me, makes this series one of may favourites that is currently around. 

This book is published by Bloomsbury and is out on February 5th - look out for it, in all cool bookshops.

New Children's/Teen Books Published In March 2014 - UK Post One

                           

Philip Webb - Where the Rock Splits the Sky - Published by Chicken House - 25 March 2014
The moon has been split, and the Visitors have Earth in their alien grip. But the captive planet? That's not her problem. Megan just wants to track down her missing dad...

The world stopped turning long before Megan was born. Ever since the Visitors split the moon and stilled the Earth, permanent sunset is all anyone has known. But now, riding her trusty steed Cisco, joined by her posse, Kelly and Luis, Megan is on the run from her Texas hometown, journeying across the vast, dystopic American West to hunt down her father. To find him, she must face the Zone, a notorious landscape where the laws of nature do not apply. The desert can play deadly tricks on the mind, and the quest will push Megan past her limits. But to solve the mystery of not just her missing father but of the paralyzed planet itself, she must survive it--and an alien showdown.
                                   

Peter Jay Black - Urban Outlaws - Published by Bloomsbury - 13 March 2014 - 
Book Review http://www.mrripleysenchantedbooks.com/2014/02/book-review-peter-jay-black-urban.html
In a bunker hidden deep beneath London live five extraordinary kids: meet world-famous hacker Jack, gadget geek Charlie, free runner Slink, comms chief Obi and decoy diva Wren. They're not just friends; they're URBAN OUTLAWS. They outsmart London's crime gangs and hand out their dirty money through Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.s).

Their latest mission - hacking the bank account of criminal mastermind Del Sarto - has landed them in serious trouble. Del Sarto is going head-to-head with MI5 for control of Proteus, an advanced quantum computer able to crack any code and steal top-secret documents in nanoseconds. It's down to the URBAN OUTLAWS to use their guile, guts and skill to destroy Proteus, avert world domination . . . and stay alive
                                   

   
David Baldacci - The Finisher - Published by Macmillan Children's - 4 March 2014
In The Finisher, a 14-year-old girl named Vega Jane lives in a village called Wormwood where the citizens have been told that the forest surrounding them is full of monsters. When Vega's mentor disappears, leaving behind a secret message, she begins to realize that Wormwood is a village built on dangerous lies.
                                       

Matt Haig - Echo Boy - Published by Bodley Head - 25 March 2014 
Audrey's father taught her that to stay human in the modern world, she had to build a moat around herself; a moat of books and music, philosophy and dreams. A moat that makes Audrey different from the echoes: sophisticated, emotionless machines, built to resemble humans and to work for human masters. Daniel is an echo - but he's not like the others. He feels a connection with Audrey; a feeling Daniel knows he was never designed to have, and cannot explain. And when Audrey is placed in terrible danger, he's determined to save her. The Echo Boy is a powerful story about love, loss and what makes us truly human.