Danger Zone: Ice Claw by David Gilman

Danger Zone: Ice Claw by David Gilman
Buy Danger Zone: Ice Claw by David Gilman at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Jill Murphy
Summary: A high octane thriller with an environmental twist. The lead character relies on personal endurance and courage rather than Alex Rider-style high-tech gadgetry. One for the adrenalin seeker, thoughit's a trifle long.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 448	Date: July 2008
Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN: 0141323035
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In his last outing, Max Gordon went to Africa to rescue his kidnapped father from Bond-style villain Shaka Chang. He made it home, but only after many hair-raising escapades, including a deadly duel with a pack of underground albino crocodiles. His father made it out too, but not quite all in one piece. His mind isn't what it was and he's now recovering in a nursing home. Max went back to his Gordonstoun-style boarding school on Dartmoor.

Fast forward a few months and our teen action hero is in the Pyreneess, taking part in an extreme sports competition. As if things weren't tough enough with the kayaking, biking and snowboarding, Max is caught in an avalanche and becomes the only witness to a murder. The victim urgently passes on a mysterious clue of clearly vital importance just before he dies and Max resolves to investigate. But how can he, when he is wanted by police for the man's murder and when there's no one he can trust?

This second book in Gilman's Danger Zone series is as action-packed as the first. The pace doesn't let up for an instant as Max is pursued by various shadowy and brutal villains. Each time he manages to escape by a mixture of physical skill and endurance and ingenuity. This is an action book for the survivalist, not the geeky fans of technology and gadgetry. The environmental twist here is more of a background theme than in the previous volume, but it's still there. This time it's about global warming, natural catastrophes and disappearing wildlife.

The basic premise of the plot is extremely well-researched but the action itself is simply great fun and would happily slot into a big budget movie. The villain is as outrageously villainous as anyone could wish. There's some new female interest for Max too - this time from a French-Tuareg girl who's skilled at parkour. You really couldn't tick any more teen appeal boxes if you tried.

Ice Claw and its predecessor are ideally suited to early to mid teen boys - but thanks to the strong female supports, girl action fans won't feel in the least bit shut out. Recommended for all those who enjoy suspending belief and hanging on for an exhilarating ride.

My thanks to the nice people at Puffin for sending the book.

If they liked this, they might also like the equally high octane The Aztec Code by Stephen Cole while extreme sports fans who prefer non-fiction could look at Serious Survival: How to Poo in the Arctic and Other Essential Tips for Explorers by Marshall Corwin.

Danger Zone: Ice Claw by David Gilman is in the Top Ten Beach Reads For Teens.

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