Double or Die by Charlie Higson
Adventure spy thrillers for lower secondary boys is rapidly becoming a genre all on it’s own. And a good thing too because the boys just can’t get enough. Alex Rider, Cherub are only two of many different series that boys seem to devour.
Higson has added to the genre in a big way. His Young James Bond series is also on the list for the adventure hungry readers. Although his language is a little more sophisticated than Horowitz and his list of gadgets is limited Higson manages to tell a rollicking tale that you just can’t put down.
But James Bond? How can anyone else but Fleming write about such a classic fictional character. Although I have never read the Fleming books, I have seen many of the films and to my mind Higson is very true to the character of Bond. He gets out of trouble by using his wits, improvising with the resources at hand and straight out courage. All the film Bonds have had incredible faith in their one immortality, and the young James Bond who leaps out of the pages of this book has that same faith.
And the best thing? More than one 15 year old who has read Young Bond has come seeking a copy of Fleming’s Bond. When one book makes you want to read another, it has got to be a good thing.
This book is far more sophisticated in plot and style than the other spy thrillers that I have read in the past and to my mind that makes it a welcome addition to the genre.
