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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I think this is a good mystery story for kids. Easy to read with just enough suspense.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ali Cross wants to be just like his father, Alex Cross – a great detective. So when Ali’s friend Gabe goes missing, Ali immediately takes it upon himself to help crack the case.
It’s not that the police don’t seem to care, but at the same time they aren’t working fast enough for Ali’s liking. Ali gets his friends involved to help, even if it’s just by passing out flyers on the street and asking people in the surrounding neighborhoods if they’ve seen Gabe. Nothing, not even a suspension from school, will stop Ali from trying to find his friend. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Cross family is nervous about the upcoming trial for Alex Cross with the charges against him for “pushing” someone down the stairs while he was questioning the man.
The mystery around Gabe’s disappearance is one that is kind of hard to figure out. Did he run or was he kidnapped? Clues that Ali finds in his own investigation lead him to think that maybe Gabe left on his own or was forced to. After all, Gabe’s dad seems a little suspicious and maybe his appearance caused Gabe to run away due to abuse or something of the sort.
The story keeps you on your feet the entire time, not necessarily in the thriller sense, but in wanting to figure out what exactly happened to Gabe. What I really enjoyed is that you can see Ali’s emotions about everything that is going on, both with his missing friend and his dad’s upcoming trial… he’s taking on a lot emotionally for a middle school kid. He even gets so frustrated that he gets into a minor fight with another student at school (and to be fair, Ali was provoked). But really, when you’ve got this kind of stuff on your plate, who can blame you for blowing up a little?
This was a quick and interesting mystery novel by Patterson for the middle great/early young adult audience. Though I have never read any other book by James Patterson, I liked what he did here to create a spin-off of one of his most well-known mystery/crime series and gear it towards the younger audience. I can see the young fans of this book (possibly series?) wanting to read the Alex Cross books later on in their lives. I know I want to give them a shot now.
It’s not that the police don’t seem to care, but at the same time they aren’t working fast enough for Ali’s liking. Ali gets his friends involved to help, even if it’s just by passing out flyers on the street and asking people in the surrounding neighborhoods if they’ve seen Gabe. Nothing, not even a suspension from school, will stop Ali from trying to find his friend. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Cross family is nervous about the upcoming trial for Alex Cross with the charges against him for “pushing” someone down the stairs while he was questioning the man.
The mystery around Gabe’s disappearance is one that is kind of hard to figure out. Did he run or was he kidnapped? Clues that Ali finds in his own investigation lead him to think that maybe Gabe left on his own or was forced to. After all, Gabe’s dad seems a little suspicious and maybe his appearance caused Gabe to run away due to abuse or something of the sort.
The story keeps you on your feet the entire time, not necessarily in the thriller sense, but in wanting to figure out what exactly happened to Gabe. What I really enjoyed is that you can see Ali’s emotions about everything that is going on, both with his missing friend and his dad’s upcoming trial… he’s taking on a lot emotionally for a middle school kid. He even gets so frustrated that he gets into a minor fight with another student at school (and to be fair, Ali was provoked). But really, when you’ve got this kind of stuff on your plate, who can blame you for blowing up a little?
This was a quick and interesting mystery novel by Patterson for the middle great/early young adult audience. Though I have never read any other book by James Patterson, I liked what he did here to create a spin-off of one of his most well-known mystery/crime series and gear it towards the younger audience. I can see the young fans of this book (possibly series?) wanting to read the Alex Cross books later on in their lives. I know I want to give them a shot now.
Fun! Love that James Patterson writes for the younger readers but keeps his adult characters. Love this story about Alex Cross youngest son. Look forward to more in the series
I loved most of this but there were some real holes in the story. Ali, son of Alex Cross, is going to appeal to MG readers and perhaps provide some crossover to other mystery/thriller writers. His caring about his missing friend and determination to find him is appealing, but there's where the holes are: surely the police would have been a little more involved? Either a missing person's report was filed by the parents or it wasn't. If it was, wouldn't they have interviewed Ali? and if not, wouldn't they have said something to him about the parents claiming he's ok? so confusing.
There's a substory about Alex being sued by the family of a man he possibly shoved and put in a coma (Alex says he slipped). I have no idea if this is part of a story from the Alex Cross books, but it won't matter to MG readers because it's explained well enough for them without requiring them to have read another book.
ARC provided by publisher.
There's a substory about Alex being sued by the family of a man he possibly shoved and put in a coma (Alex says he slipped). I have no idea if this is part of a story from the Alex Cross books, but it won't matter to MG readers because it's explained well enough for them without requiring them to have read another book.
ARC provided by publisher.
the audiobook was great and I loved the concept and how things all came together. Fun, easy, fast read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It starts out slow but after about 75 pages it starts to get really good with so many different little problems and obstacles for Ali to get over it really draws you in and I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in crime, mystery, and of course policework or detective books. It definitely lived up to the hype I've heard about not only the book but all so James Patterson himself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Blood
This was my first time reading a James Patterson novel and I really enjoyed it. Although I've never read any his Alex Cross novels, I thought writing a middle-grade mystery novel about Alex's son, Ali Cross, was such a fantastic idea. I'm definitely going to be adding some of the Alex Cross novels to my TBR.
What I really enjoyed about this novel was that it was a very believable and plausible mystery in which the adult (Alex Cross) also gets a POV and is involved in solving the mystery of Ali's missing friend and the string of break-and-enters in their neighbourhood (because if I'm being honest, most middle-grade mysteries are pretty far-fetched).
I also really enjoyed Alex's story arc on the side about his trial regarding possible misconduct/police brutality. It was approached in a way that didn't come across as being too heavy-handed on the social justice front, and it didn't completely overshadow the overarching storyline.
What I really enjoyed about this novel was that it was a very believable and plausible mystery in which the adult (Alex Cross) also gets a POV and is involved in solving the mystery of Ali's missing friend and the string of break-and-enters in their neighbourhood (because if I'm being honest, most middle-grade mysteries are pretty far-fetched).
I also really enjoyed Alex's story arc on the side about his trial regarding possible misconduct/police brutality. It was approached in a way that didn't come across as being too heavy-handed on the social justice front, and it didn't completely overshadow the overarching storyline.
I read this with my 8yo; he would give it 4.5 stars. I found it unsatisfying on the level of plot resolution (without spoiling the ending, it was anti-climactic). The occasional “Alex Cross” chapter seemed a clumsy way to add a different POV; the book might have felt more seamless and satisfying without. Characters seemed surface-level at best.