The Challenge (Steel Trapp #1) by Ridley Pearson

In this riveting thriller, 14-year-old Steven "Steel" Trapp sets off with his mom and their dog, Cairo, on a 2-day Amtrak journey to compete in the National Science Competition in Washington, DC. Steel is both blessed and cursed with a remarkable photographic memory--just one look and whatever he sees is imprinted for keeps. Trying to be a good Samaritan on the train, he instead becomes embroiled in an ingenious, international plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists. Federal agents (first seen in Pearson's adult thriller, "Cut and Run") track Steel and his new-found science geek accomplice, Kaileigh Augustine, as they attempt to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. Using Steel's science contest invention--and with the help of Cairo--Steel and Kaileigh lead readers on an action-packed chase adventure as they attempt to prevent the unimaginable, before it's too late.

This is a fantastic book (came really close to my top 5) It is full of cool (yeah, I know, ‘cool’ is not a very good adjective) twists and turns. You discover some secret identities. You even learn something totally unexpected about......nothing *hint hint, wink wink * (that was one of my favorite parts!) This is a very action packed book. In fact, it is kind of like a cross between James Bond and the Hardy Boys.

The Second one was even better than the first! Although, it has a very different layout.

(7/2010)

Little Brother (Little Brother #1) by Cory Doctorow

Marcus aka “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.
But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.
When the DHS finally releases them, his injured best friend Darryl does not come out. The city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: "M1k3y" will take down the DHS himself

Negatives: Explicit romance and a high amount of cussing. It's also very heavy on programming lingo. However, there isn’t a single book better for government study. It would be fabulous for book clubs and government debates. I would highly recommend this book for teachers. It would be a way to get average students involved in their rights. There are so many rights that teenagers (and adults!) take for granted. This book would definitely remind people how important rights are. I definitely would recommend this if your in the mood for a deep thinking novel.

The White House (I,Q #2) by Roland Smith

"In this follow-up to "Book One: Independence Hall," Q and Angela continue their quest to uncover the truth behind the supposed death of Angela's real mother, a former Secret Service agent, while trying to differentiate the "good guys" from the "bad guys."

 IQ: The White House hooks you with action and then blasts away like a rocket ship. It had more aliases more deception, and more secrets. It was bigger, better and more explosive, literally, stuff really explodes. Absolutely everything was dumped upside down and rearranged. Some pretty cool new characters came in to play. As always, one of the most fascinating things is how Roland Smith seamlessly engages political warfare and dynamics in the series. It appears so real, you feel like you might pick up the phone and ask the white house just what they plan to do with the huge ghost cell right under their noses. I waited over a year for this sequel and I am happy to say I was not disappointed

Independence Hall (I,Q #1) by Roland Smith

Fame has arrived for rockers Blaze and Roger! Just married, leaving Los Angeles, and touring the United States with teenagers Q (Quest) and Angela in tow, the excitement heightens in Philadelphia when Angela realizes she's being followed. Q soon learns the secret about Angela's real mother - a former Secret Service agent.
Readers are thrust into current issues affecting the world in this edge-of- your-seat, modern-day mystery adventure. I, Q readers will be immersed in the work of U.S. Secret Service, the Mossad, and the MI5. But who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? What happens to this newly formed family if Angela's mom is not dead?

IQ is very unique, it has many entertaining aspects. IQ: Independence Hall has high tech gadgets, aliases, danger, death and espionage. This book followed Quest and his new step sister Angela Tucker as their lives turned from fun to frightening. Just as they had adjusted to life on the road with their parent’s band tour; Angela noticed that she was being followed. Their whole way of life unraveled when they discovered that their traveling RV mechanic (Boone) was a retired CIA operative and Angela’s mom, Malak, was alive. The problem with that was, Malak (a secret service agent) was declared dead years ago. Q and Angela were not the only ones who knew though, a huge terrorist cell knew; they weren’t going to rest until she was dead. They barely had enough time to grasp all this new information when an attempt on their lives was taken. Can they save her mom from the terrorists before it is too late? Or will they pay for her freedom with their lives?

Roland Smith has done a fantastic job at this realistic fiction book. Bravo is one word that comes to mind. It did a wonderful job of revealing terrorism in America without getting gory. However, the book is so realistic, that whenever Angela’s mom was mentioned (especially the way she died) I found myself reliving that awful morning, Tuesday September 11, 2001. Maybe it didn’t happen to you; maybe you didn’t see it on the news. For me however, the video was seemingly burned into my mind in slow motion. IQ is an excellent book (and I am looking forward to the sequel), but it is realistic fiction. If you were severely affected by terrorism or 9/11, maybe this isn’t the book for you. Or maybe it would be therapeutic to read about two teens fighting terrorism. This is for you to decide.