The Chaos Code

October 29, 2007
Let’s Find Treasure,” the catchphrase from Richards’s (The Death Collector
) mystery/thriller, seems emblematic of this novel’s excited tone. Like Grimpow
(reviewed above), this story, too, utilizes numerous conventions à la Dan Brown’s The
Da Vinci Code
—cryptic messages, coded clues, historical arcane societies, etc.—but here these feel somewhat derivative. The storyline revolves around 15-year-old Matt Stribling who, in search of his missing archeologist father, becomes entangled in a globe-hopping quest. The goal: to find an ancient treasure that, if unearthed by the wrong people, could potentially destroy the world. Initially, Stribling and two allies—millionaire Julius Venture and his precocious daughter Robin—set out to find the lost treasure of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, a legendary cache of scrolls and relics that supposedly holds the “knowledge held secret by the ancients.” But as the search takes the group from the jungles of Brazil to a remote Scandinavian island, the scope of the mysterious “knowledge” expands to include the lost continent of Atlantis, elemental magic and quantum entanglement. The action never stops, but the glut of two-dimensional characters and more than a few highly implausible exploits (Matt figures out a computer’s complex password after just a few tries) weaken the suspense. Ages 12-up.

February 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-The son of two self-absorbed intellectuals, 15-year-old Matt Stribling is dreading yet another boring holiday at the home of his absent-minded archaeologist father while his computer consultant mother flies off to meet a mysterious new client. However, his holiday turns out to be anything but dull when he is swept up in the search for an ancient code that holds the potential to bring ultimate power to the person who knows how to decipher it. Traversing the globe with his friend Robin, Matt encounters computer-created monsters, guns for hire, and the menace of a man determined to secure ultimate control over the world and its inhabitants in this novel (Bloomsbury, 2007) by Justin Richards. John Lees voice captures Matts initial irritation and annoyance, growing confusion, fear for the safety of his missing father, and determination to thwart the megalomaniac whose actions have the potential to destroy the modern world. His narration matches the excitement of the chase and the suspenseful ending. Filled with twists and turns, skirmishes with hired thugs, and a growing attraction between Matt and Robin, the story is overly complicated at times, and would have benefited from more stringent editing. However, the overall result is a satisfying listening experience for action/adventure fans.Cindy Lombardo, Cleveland Public Library, OH

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