The Secret Prophecy

October 29, 2012
Irish author Brennan (the Faerie Wars series) might be late to the post–Dan Brown conspiracy thriller craze, but he has no trouble using its tropes to create an enjoyable, exciting read. British teenager Em Goverton gets two major shocks in quick succession: the sudden death of his father and the overheard suggestion that it might have been murder. After a short vacation in France with a childhood friend and her family leads to additional suspicious events, Em returns home to find his mother institutionalized and their house ransacked. Em’s attempt to evade corrupt social services workers takes him to a homeless shelter and a helpful man named Victor; from there, the apparent conspiracy surrounding his father’s work on the history of Nostradamus leads to a familiar amalgam of prophecies, global travel, betrayal, and requisite over-the-top plot twists. Brennan capably juggles these threads and more by focusing on Em’s believably innocent and grounded narrative voice. Realism takes a backseat to action, but it’s unlikely that readers will be complaining. Ages 10–up. Agent: Sophie Hicks, Ed Victor Literary Agency.

September 15, 2012
Conspiracies abound in this tension-filled series starter from a master of many genres, catching two teens up in the secretive Knights of Themis' plot to dominate the world and casting them into a maelstrom of danger. Em (short for Edward Michael) Goverton is being hunted by a man with a gun whom he spotted at the funeral of his father, a noted expert on Nostradamus, and again on a sightseeing jaunt in Paris. Back from France and still being hunted, he meets I Ching devotee Victor, who rescues him and teaches him about both the Knights and his employer, the supersecret agency Section 7, which has tracked the Knights for over 50 years. The ensuing mayhem--tightly narrated, with cliffhangers, red herrings and a deliciously complex wheels-within-wheels conspiracy--is spellbinding. The final chapters and outstanding ending must be read in one sitting. Thoroughly believable, Em is suitably fearful about the chaos but is decisive when tough choices are needed. His friend Charlotte is smart, funny and helpful. This well-constructed thriller will appeal to all fans of suspense. Middle schoolers--male and female--will enjoy this novel and hope en masse the next book comes soon. (Adventure. 11-14)

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January 1, 2013

Gr 7-10-When Edward Michael (Em for short) loses his professor father unexpectedly and suspiciously, the teen is left reeling. After the funeral, his dad's home office is burglarized yet nothing appears to be missing. Em is whisked off to France by a family friend and his daughter, lovely and intimidating Charlotte, and the teens spot a stranger with a gun stalking them through the streets of Paris. Finally, when Em returns home, he is shocked to learn that his mother has been committed to a psychiatric facility and when he goes to visit her, she slurs a warning in her drugged state: run. Now Em cannot seem to find a safe place to hide from an omniscient group of pursuers. He connects with Victor, an oddly helpful vagrant who turns out to be a government secret service officer. Victor, Charlotte, and Em plot, scheme, and uncover clues left by the deceased professor, which leads them down a path of intrigue complete with international travel, deadly epidemics, and large-scale conspiracies. Brennan serves up a fun read with guy appeal, a Dan Brown-like thriller about Nostradamus, meandering into an international environmental statement, with betrayals and lies so pervasive that it's hard to decipher the actual truth. Recommended for those who love an adventurous tale and are willing to suspend disbelief.-Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
Grades 6-9 Edward Michael ( Em ) Goverton is shocked when his father dies. He seemed to be recovering from the flu. But at the funeral, Em spots a man with a gun, and then his father's home office is ransacked. What could be in the office of a professor that someone would want? True, his dad was an expert on Nostradamus, and Professor Goverton had told Em that he had perhaps discovered a new prophecy. By the time Em's mother is locked up in a mental institution, heads are spinning and events are out of control. Brennan follows The Da Vinci Code modelhanging the intrigue on a historic figure and his secret knowledge and then surrounding the mystery with lots of running around and shooting. Actually, there's not enough Nostradamus here and too much running about. The plot can't bear too much scrutiny, nor can the characters for that matter. But there are some decent twists, and Em is a likable enough Everyteen caught in a web of deception.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
After his father unexpectedly dies investigating a previously unknown prophecy by Nostradamus, Em finds himself caught up in a covert struggle between Section 7, a secret government organization, and the Knights of Themis, an Illuminati-like society. Readers will enjoy piecing together clues while following tortuous plot twists and trying to decide whom to trust in this action-packed thriller.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)