i thought charlie bone was like harry potter until i read this book! its a lot like enders game the series of unfortunate events AND charlie bone! what is this world coming to!why can't we be creative and think up our own plots. i know this review sux, i just wanted to state my opinion---i dont care if you dont like it!

This is but another is a flood of recent books directed at young children (boys, mostly)which pander to kids' infatuation with video games as a substitute for actual plot and character development. The endless, detailed descriptions of ficticious video games is enough to make even the most avid gamer flip forward in search of a real story. Far from turning kids onto reading, this book is more likely to convince them that video games are a better way to spend their time. Also, parents should note that, although the book jacket says this book is for ages 8 and up, it is clearly inappropriate for children that young. The main character is an orphan because every member of his family -- grandparaents, parents, brother, aunts and uncles - are killed in a house fire while the boy sleeps outside in a tree house. The main character and other children are then "adopted" by a maniacal computer genius who drugs them and keeps them captive to work on his next great invention and then plans to killl them all. Young children are likely to find this type of subject matter, and the callous way in which it is depicted, deeply upsetting.

My wife, a children's librarian, had me read this book, and overall, I was pleased with it. It's particularly appropriate for intelligent children who may feel different at school because of their intelligence. Some of the themes of this book seem borrowed from the famous "Ender's Game," which is a favorite among highly intelligent young readers, as both books deal with identifying and utilizing the skills of highly intelligent children.

This book has several other appeals. It's generally fast-paced, which makes it good for most children/young adults. It deals with real issues, such as death in the family, children with no parents, children with single-parents, inter-racial friendships, etc. And all issues seem to be handled quite well.

It also has realistic dialogue among suburban kids, which many books find difficult to achieve. It also doesn't talk down to kids, nor get preachy about how kids should behave. (i.e. one of the main child characters is a chain smoker and a thief).

And despite taking some guidance from "Ender's Game," it does manage a very innovative concept, which I found enjoyable. I was genuinely interested to finish the book and see how it was all resolved.

Overall, I recommend this book for parents who wish to get their children interested in reading. Its fast-paced nature, handling of real issues, and its focus on video games should make most children very willing to read this book. I just suggest that parents discuss some of the issues raised in the book with their children, because it deals with mature concepts and delinquent behaviors.