Books Jack Reads

Note: This book is recommended for readers aged 16 and over.

Reasons: Strong language, describes graphic & realistic war scenes.

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Liam Scott used to be just a ordinary teenager living in London, until the fateful day when his best friend Dan was killed after falling off a roof while the two of them were free-running together.

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Determined to try and put the accident behind him, Liam enrols in the British Army's tough basic training program, with the ultimate aim of becoming a solider.

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Liam soon finds himself as part of the 2 Rifles regiment in Afghanistan, fighting against the ruthless Taliban forces. But when Liam ends up in the same troop as Dan's older brother, who still blames Liam for Dan's death, life as a soldier suddenly becomes a whole lot more dangerous...

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If your kids are into books with lots of action, like the CHERUB series or the Alex Rider series, then they'll enjoy this one.

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Being a former soldier himself, Andy's filled this book with lots of real-world locations, like the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, which is where Liam learns how to be a soldier, or the massive soldiers' camp known as Camp Bastion, which is a real location in Afghanistan.

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It isn't just all action though, as there are some snatches of humour throughout the story, such as one of the soldiers being nicknamed Gandalf on account of his beard-like chin stubble.

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There's also a full glossary of military terms and acronyms so that readers know what everything is, like 'IED' (which stands for Improvised Explosive Device), 'Chinook' (a type of military helicopter), or 'Mastiff' (the name of one of the armoured vehicles used by the British Army).

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Overall, this is a mature and realistic war story from an experienced author, and a great choice for fans of this genre.