The Doomsday Box

February 15, 2011
Grades 6-9 The British teen spies from The Shadow Project (2009), gifted with powers of astral projection, gear up for another mission, this time traveling back in time. Its a convoluted web of logic that gets them to 1962 Moscow to halt a deadly outbreak of the Black Death imported from the fourteenth century, but their run-ins with the KGB are the stuff of classic spy thrillers. Curiously, the action is far more subdued in this sequel than the first book, but the zippy pacing and some tasty paranormal brain-candy combine for an ultimately enjoyable read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

December 15, 2010

Terrorism is once again the theme in this sequel to The Shadow Project (2010). But this time the threat comes from a time-traveling CIA agent who doesn't realize what he's unleashed on the present-day "future." It's up to a team of four teenagers with astral-projection talents to find the agent, isolate him in the past and warn him about the future. It sounds simple enough, but like all good plans, it goes sadly awry. Before you know it, this daring team is cast adrift in 1960s Russia, where the Cold War is colder than ever. Will they be able to find the undercover agent named Cobra while dodging the KGB...who only wants them dead? Is there an unknown fly in the ointment? Will they make it back to their future? Does the world even have a future? Well populated with interesting characters, this story is nicely paced and told, a solid sequel that indicates there is room for more. (Science fiction. 10 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011
The mystical spy trio of Danny, Michael, and Opal (The Shadow Project) is joined by new agent Fuchsia. Together they embark on a time-traveling mission to save the world from an apocalyptic plague. The plot combines spy thriller with occult mysticism and urban legend in a story that defies credulity but has just enough real-world themes and events to stay somewhat grounded.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 1, 2011

Gr 5-9-Building on an urban legend about U.S. World War II-era time-travel experiments, Brennan crafts a plot around the dangers of time travel and germ warfare. In this sequel to The Shadow Project (HarperCollins, 2010), his four modern British teens are sent to 1962 to warn a CIA operative that his future actions will unleash a deadly plague that will destroy civilization. With the fate of humanity resting squarely on their young shoulders, the protagonists are pushed through a secret time portal on Long Island and land in Langley, VA, at the height of the Cold War. From there it is on to Soviet Russia, hot on the heels of secret agent "Cobra," who is working under deep cover. The book doesn't really succeed as science fiction but the spy angle will attract some readers. While several plot elements stretch credulity to very near the breaking point, there is plenty of action with harrowing chases and even some good, old-fashioned KGB torture. That, along with the "only these kids can save the world" theme, will attract readers looking for a quick, entertaining adventure. Fans of Robert Muchamore's "Cherub" series (S & S) and Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" books (Philomel) may enjoy this one.-Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.