A spy thriller that delivers appealing protagonists and a dash of suspense.
Two teen detectives collaborate to stop a group of Russian smugglers from destroying the United States’ access to the internet in this debut novel.
Dalton Frazer’s last summer before eighth grade is full of everything a boy could want—late nights of video games, plenty of skateboarding, and lots of time spent with his grandpa, fishing on Gramps’ boat. But when Gramps is hijacked at seas, and his passenger, a Coast Guard scuba diver, disappears, Dalton finds himself in the middle of an investigation into a Russian smuggling ring being conducted by the CIA, Navy, and FBI. Determined to find out why his grandfather was hurt, Dalton is joined by his whip-smart black Labrador, Alfred, and his baseball-loving friend since first grade—and current crush—the tomboyish Maddy. They don dark clothing and leave behind the sleepy California sun of San Salina’s days for its moonlit nights, spying on the schemes of dangerous, armed men with thick accents and sinister intentions. But neither realizes just how serious the threat is, as these smugglers aren’t moving drugs or guns, but dangerous microchips intended to destroy the American economy by attacking the country’s internet access, forcing a Coast Guard-trained dolphin to risk its life to deliver the goods. DePaul’s first installment of a series offers a nice gateway for tweens and younger teens looking for age-appropriate spy fiction, peppering in mild thrills and chase scenes with slapstick comedy and intriguing set pieces from modern Coast Guard ships and the rescue and surveillance dolphin. The protagonists are clever, polite, and resourceful, respectful of their elders but unwilling to turn their backs on those in need, be they man or beast, even if it means risking their safety on their summer break. The plot is pretty thin, and even younger readers, especially more tech-savvy ones (and most kids are nowadays), will likely find the smugglers’ endgame a little silly. But it all makes for a fine excuse to fight Russian miscreants with baseball, skateboarding, and teen ingenuity.
A spy thriller that delivers appealing protagonists and a dash of suspense.Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9982475-1-9
Page Count: 172
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.
Four men who meet as college roommates move to New York and spend the next three decades gaining renown in their professions—as an architect, painter, actor and lawyer—and struggling with demons in their intertwined personal lives.
Yanagihara (The People in the Trees, 2013) takes the still-bold leap of writing about characters who don’t share her background; in addition to being male, JB is African-American, Malcolm has a black father and white mother, Willem is white, and “Jude’s race was undetermined”—deserted at birth, he was raised in a monastery and had an unspeakably traumatic childhood that’s revealed slowly over the course of the book. Two of them are gay, one straight and one bisexual. There isn’t a single significant female character, and for a long novel, there isn’t much plot. There aren’t even many markers of what’s happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we don’t see the neighborhood change from gritty artists’ enclave to glitzy tourist destination. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends’ psyches and relationships, and it’s utterly enthralling. The four men think about work and creativity and success and failure; they cook for each other, compete with each other and jostle for each other’s affection. JB bases his entire artistic career on painting portraits of his friends, while Malcolm takes care of them by designing their apartments and houses. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. And when Willem becomes a movie star, they all bask in his glow. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life.
The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.Pub Date: March 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-53925-8
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
PERSPECTIVES
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
