Evil Star

From School Library Journal Grade 5-8Though this is the second installment in this series, new readers will catch on quickly. Fresh from his victory over Raven's Gate, Matt is once again called upon by the mysterious Nexus. As one of the five kids foretold by prophecy to fight back the Old Ones, the 14-year-old is needed in South America. From the very beginning, his enemies seem to always be one step ahead of him. But these shadowy opponents don't count on Matt's unexpected allies: the second of the five, and an ancient tribe of Inca warriors. While the story and characters are not particularly original, and more experienced readers will not be glued to their seats, the plot turns and emotional relationships will more than satisfy thrill seekers, especially those already into Horowitz's Alex Rider series (Philomel). A must-have for reluctant, middle-grade boys. Morgan Johnson-Doyle, Sierra High School, Colorado Springs, CO Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Gr. 5--8. Fourteen-year-old Matt Freeman, who forestalled the evil Old Ones in the riveting Raven's Gate (2005), finds himself on yet another precipitous adventure. This time Matt and Richard, the journalist with whom Matt has been staying, travel to Peru, where Nexus believes a second gate to the underworld is poised to open. The when and how of the event are left to Matt to discover, which he eventually does, but not without some lugubrious descriptions, an abundance of dramatic escapes, and the help of a Peruvian teen, Pedro, with whose destiny Matt's is linked. Although this is neither as tightly constructed nor as compelling as the lead title in the Gatekeepers Series (which was equal parts horror and adventure), this book still has its moments, especially at the end, when the secret of the second gate is revealed, and Pedro finally settles into his place as the second of the children prophesied to save the world. Stephanie Zvirin Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved