Z.Rex by Steve Cole

Adam Adlar is living with his dad in Santa Fe over the holidays, while his dad works on his Ultra-Reality (U-R) gaming console.  If his dad can get it to work properly, it will be the biggest thing ever - no more controllers or gamepads, the game will be able to work directly from the players mind.  Adam is his dads favourite (and only) test subject, and together they are making the system work.  They are in a race against time though, as the research is expensive and the funding is always close to running out.  When an opportuntiy comes up for a distraction Adam's dad takes it, but the gone for a few days quickly turns into missing for lots of days and Adam is getting worried.  When things take an even more dangerous turn, Adam finds himself in the company of a genetically created dinosaur named Z.Rex and it seems hell-bent on finding his father - but for what purpose?

This is the first book in The hunting series and starts the series with a bang.  One of the best things about this books is that it is fast moving, has a gripping story, but also avoids using lots of complicated language which makes it accessible to younger readers who want to extend their reading, but also allows teenagers who are struggling a little with their reading to enjoy a really good read without feeling like they are being talked down to.  I really enjoyed this book because it was surprisingly complex, even though the language was not heavy with technical words or vocabluary building words it didn't feel like the story was brought down to a younger level - instead it felt as though the author really knows his audience and is trying to include as many people in the telling as possible.

If you like this book then try:

• Serpents of Arakesh by V.M.Jones
• Raptor by Paul Zindel
• The lost castle by Michael Pryor
• Star split by Kathryn Lasky
• Hex by Rhiannon Lassiter
• Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Reviewed by Brilla