Wolf’s Lair : Book 3 in the thrilling Katipo Joe series by Brian Falkner. Schoolboy, Spy, Assassin. @scholasticNZ So good! I really couldn’t put this book down.

Wolf’s Lair : Katipo Joe Book 3

By Brian Falkner

ISBN 9781775437482

Scholastic NZ

Joseph St George begins his story as a school boy in Berlin before the beginning of World War Two. His ordinary world is turned upside down when his British father is arrested as a spy. Joe and his mother escape Berlin but when they become separated Joe is sent to New Zealand. His return sometime later, sees him caught up in a world at war and his search for his parents sees him infiltrate the Hitler Youth movement. His loyalty is all a lie, of course, as it becomes clear that in order to find his parents he must become a spy. This puts him in constant risk of being found out and life becomes more and more dangerous. Survival becomes everything.

Joe’s orders are to get closer to Hitler and this works well. He begins moving in the same circle as Hitler. Indeed, Hitler sees him as his protégé. Joe then makes connections to the best and worst of the people surrounding and protecting Hitler. Joe’s order is huge, absolutely dangerous and will be life-threatening if caught. There is always the question about who to trust. Who are the good guys, and who are the bad? As he draws closer to Hitler he becomes aware that someone is watching him but he has no idea who. He also finds himself attracted to Sofie, a fellow Hitler Youth member, but their friendship could ruin everything. As his feelings for her grow, it puts them both in danger.

Joe does things that go against his natural kindness and caring. He struggles at times with guilt, and the realisation that some of the things he does, no matter how abhorrent, are actually necessary. War brings out the best and worst of people.

The suspense is palpable. I could almost hear the bombs in the background and feel the fear. This is a solid, gritty read and at times, quite confronting. While Joe’s story may be fiction, many of the events and people are real. This makes the series more realistic, more believable. Joe grows as a character, but he also retains a vulnerability, especially around people he cares about, which makes him more likeable. His flaws and strengths are real.

I loved the first two books and have been hanging out for the third for ages. I was hooked from the moment I sat down to read. I couldn’t put the book down. I sat on my bed reading instead of getting ready for work. I was in danger myself, for being late as I just wanted to know what was going to happen next in Joe’s world.

Like the previous books in this series, there is action, suspense, danger, history, a bit of a romance and a few surprises too. I’ve said it in previous reviews of this series, but this really has everything. Great writing, great story, from a great writer.

There are a number of photos in the back of the book of the real people in this narrative, which provides interesting details.

Totally recommend this YA series. I would love to see these books as a movie or TV series. An audio version would also be great.

Katipo Joe : Spycraft by Brian Falkner. Book two in this thrilling, well-written young adult novel set in the middle of World War Two. It is a fast-paced, action-packed read.

Katipo Joe: Spycraft Book 2

By Brian Falkner

ISBN 9781775436607

Scholastic NZ

Grrrrr!

So I have just finished the second exciting book in the Katipo Joe series about Joseph St George, a Kiwi teen working for the British Intelligence during World War Two and now I am desperate for the next book. Brian Falkner I hope you are frantically writing the next book because I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Joe is the son of diplomats and spent much of his youth living in Germany where he speaks perfect German and English making him a good choice for spy. His father is taken prisoner by the Gestapo in the first book and he soon realises his mother is a British spy and she goes missing. Joe does everything he can to find her and his strength and abilities capture the interest of the British where is recruited as a spy himself. His spy abilities and powers of deception see him eventually recruited into the Hitler Youth movement where he becomes one of 12 teens being prepared to work for Hitler.

We follow the daily routines, tests and dangers of the 12 teens who work diligently towards an end goal with the support of Eva Braun, companion to Adolf Hitler.

The book has everything. Action, death, survival, betrayal, all neatly packaged in a tense, thrilling fast-paced adventure that will keep you turning the pages. In order to infiltrate the cause, Joe must become someone else. Doing so is dangerous and one slip-up could result in capture and probable execution. The trouble with being a spy, is knowing who to trust, if anyone.

The places and background happenings are based on facts. Some of those facts are quite harrowing but Joe has to convince others he has the stomach to deal with them. Some scenes left me feeling quite yuck but the reality is, those things really did happen. Joe is believable. He is flawed, at times doubting his own ability, over thinking things and he makes mistakes. Costly mistakes which he struggles with.

This is a solid read, gritty and gory in places but definitely one to read and remember. Joe as a character continues to grow but so too, does his willingness to step over that line. Death is simply part of how life is during the war. Falkner is one of those writers who captures the reader and keeps them hooked. This is a definite young adult title and series.

Hurry up, Brian!

Katipo Joe: Blitzkrieg by Brian Falkner. Schoolboy, Spy, Assassin. An excellent read for young adults who want action, pace, and strong characters in a story of war and friendships.

Katipo Joe: Blitzkrieg

By Brian Falkner

ISBN 9781775436447

Scholastic NZ

 

Schoolboy, Spy, Assassin; Joe is all these things and more. Award-winning author Brian Falkner’s latest book is a must-read. It is full of action, heroism, and definitely intense. It is a solid read with strong characters and one of those stories you just have to keep reading to see what happens next. Joe’s world is turned upside when his father is taken away by the Gestapo, leaving Joe and his mother on the run. Separated and left on his own, Joe finds himself in danger at every turn. He meets a number of different people, some become great friends; people he can trust with his life, but others put him in even more danger. The story is very well written, and well-researched with lots of detail creating a very believable setting and time for Joe and his story. Between each chapter there is a page from adult Joe’s memoir providing further insight into Joe and his time as spy during World War Two

The reality of war is brutal and inescapable but 12 year old Joe copes with everything that is thrown at him with a growing maturity.   The story shifts between occupied Paris and the bombed ruins of London. As the son of diplomats Joe speaks fluent German and this may be his greatest asset.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book with its edgy, seat-of-the-pants pace. I totally believed in the characters, their different personalities, flaws and all. I so want there to be more books about Joe.

This really is an excellent read.

At the back of the book there is a very useful glossary and some photos of the times.

 

Joseph St George is a young New Zealander, the son of diplomats in 1930s Berlin. But the Nazis are on the rise and the world is on a spinning path to destruction. Joe’s world is about to change, violently.

After a narrow escape from Germany with his mother, Joe is recruited by British Intelligence and given a mission to infiltrate the Hitler Youth movement.

From vital convoys across the frozen North Atlantic, to the terror of the London Blitz, to the shadowy world of the French Resistance, this is Joe’s world.

Inspired by true events, Katipo Joe is a story of incredible heroism, unlikely friendships and unbearable tragedy, set against the backdrop of World War II.

Alex Rider is back with another full-on adventure @WalkerBooksAus Never say die by Anthony Horowitz out now @AnthonyHorowitz

Never say die

By Anthony Horowitz

ISBN 9781406377040

Walker Books

Loved this series. Can’t wait to get a copy now that it is out. At the school I work I have had to replace this series many times as the books get read over and over and never go out of popularity. I think what I especially love is that the mix of adventure and being a teenager make Alex a very realistic character. The right mix also means that this series is appropriate for a younger audience as well as teens. Some content in similar type series limits their reading audience because of content but this series is perfect so that ten year old students and up can enjoy.

In this brand new, explosive adventure in the number one bestselling series, Alex Rider is trying to get his life back on track after the traumatic events of his last mission. But even Alex can’t fight the past … especially when it holds a deadly secret.

If we go back to the very first book book in the series Stormbreaker you have what I think is one of the best opening sentences ever. I know that is all I need to read to my students and they are hooked.

When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it’s never good news.

 

Check out the very cool trailer from Walker Books for Never Say Die

Lies I live by : New YA novel by Lauren Sabel @laurensabel psychics, spies, secrecy and a bit of romance too

Lies I live by

By Lauren Sabel

Lauren Sabel’s latest book is out now. It offers a little of everything, spies, danger, romance of the complicated kind and secrecy at all costs.

As the government’s youngest psychic spy, Callie finds valuable information for top-secret missions without ever leaving the office. Her work is fascinating and keeps her headaches at bay, but it means she must lie to everyone she loves. She can’t move to New York with her boyfriend Charlie no matter how much he begs; he’ll never know the real Callie and that wouldn’t be fair to him. Besides, she has a job to do…

…and a new partner to do it with. Jasper’s psychic abilities are impressive, as is the way he keeps up with her witty remarks. Callie can’t help but flirt; Jasper knows her in a way Charlie never will.

But as her love life gets more complicated, so do her visions. People halfway around the world seem to be in danger…and people in her own backyard, too. When an oddball billionaire takes interest in Callie’s talents, it’s clear that if she can’t find a way to alter future events, she could lose the people she loves—and her mind. Literally.

 

Russian Roulette by @AnthonyHorowitz : Prequel to the great Alex Rider series

Russian Roulette
Prequel to the Alex Rider series
By Anthony Horowitz

To everyone who loves the Alex Rider series this is going to be a must read. The trailer is fast-paced and the sound effects are high-end just like in the movies..
“An international contract killer has been given his orders. His next target is a fourteen-year-old spy … Alex Rider.
The man’s name is Yassen Gregorovich. He knows Alex well. The two of them share a secret from the past.
As he considers his next mission, Yassen remembers the forces that turned him from an ordinary schoolboy into a hired assassin. What is it that makes someone choose to do evil?
What would it take to make them kill?”
What a great blurb, straight from Anthony Horowitz’s own website which is well worth a visit. If you haven’t read any of the Alex Rider books then you really don’t know what you have been missing. They are always out from the library and hugely popular with both boys and girls. Great action books. I love them and can certainly recommend them very highly. Check out the Alex Rider links too for more info.

Code name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Spies, espionage and World War II

Code name Verity
By Elizabeth Wein

I am so looking forward to getting this book from the library. No vampires or fantasy, no dystopia but instead, a good solid read set during World War II. Two best friends (young women) are separated. One is left to bail out of a faulty plane over France. She is then captured by the Gestapo and becomes a prisoner of war.
“Truth or lies? Honour or betrayal? Everything they’ve ever believed in is put to the test… ”

This trailer is perfect. The music, the colours, the whole format has wonderful appeal. The story is intriguing and I do confess to enjoying gritty realistic war stories.

A few titles for younger readers

Apothecary
By Maile Meloy
Kidnapping, a sacred book, Russian spies, danger, mystery and adventure. Can Janie and her new friend Benjamin rescue his father and save the day and their own lives?

Found
By Margaret Peterson Haddix
I loved her Shadow children series so am looking forward to this new one. Jonah was adopted but he knew that and it wasn’t an issue. Now he and his friend who is also adopted begin to get mysterious letters. “You are one of the missing”. ANd what has it to do with the FBI?

Hunchback Assignments

The hunchback assignments
By Arthur Slade

Modo is a 14 year old hunchback living in Victorian London. He has the ability to change shape and is now working as a spy. Modo and the beautiful Octavia must outwit the mad Dr Hyde before evil is unleashed.

The dark deeps
Book 2

David

David
By Mary HoffmanFlorence, the Renaissance, Michaelangelo, spies and murder all wrapped up in a thriller.
The statue of David was one of the main reasons I decided to travel – many years ago now.
Can’t wait to read Hoffman’s thriller.

Scorpia rising

Scorpia rising

by Anthony Horowitz

The final book in the Alex Rider series. Will he or won’t he survive?