Series ~ Jack Blank #2
Author ~ Matt Myklusch
Release Date ~ August 9, 2011
Age Group ~ Middle Grade
Publisher ~ Aladdin Paperbacks
Source ~ The Teen {Book} Scene
GOODREADS SUMMARY
Picking up a year after the events of Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation, Jack and his fellow students are now well into their School of Thought training and are "sidekicking" for official, card-carrying super heroes. But, even though Jack feels more at home in the Imagine Nation, he’s still hiding secrets from his friends Skerren and Allegra, both about his shocking connection to their enemy Revile and about his “Top Secret” school assignment, which involves investigating the Rüstov computer virus that affects the Mechas. Jack is busy trying to find out how far the Rüstov sleeper virus has spread, working to find a cure, and striving to avoid the dire future that Revile warned him about.
Meanwhile, Jonas Smart is working just as hard to discover what Jack is hiding from everyone. When a rogue Secreteer—the protectors of secrets of inhabitants of the Imagine Nation—starts selling secrets to the highest bidder, Smart is ready and waiting. Jack knows that if Smart finds out the truth about him and Revile, he’s as good as dead. When Jack discovers that the Secreteer causing all this trouble also has information about his father, the distractions really start piling up. If Jack is going to help prevent a second Rüstov invasion, keep Smart from discovering his secrets, and find out what a shadowy, half-mad Secreteer knows about his long-lost father, he'll need to learn to trust his friends, and to find the true path toward becoming a hero himself.
REVIEW
My favorite part of the Jack Blank series is the Imagine Nation. It is a whimsical land where comic book heroes, aliens, robots, and others live together peacefully. There are five intriguing sections to the Imagine Nation. My favorite is the mysterious section where famous Imagine Nation celebrities could hide out from the paparazzi. It makes me smile just to type it out.
After uncovering secrets about his past and his future, Jack has become guarded with this information. In fact, he has moved on from keeping these secrets to actually lying to himself and others. I wasn’t so happy about all the lying, but I realize that Jack was trying to protect himself and others. In the end, I think Jack learns an important lesson about honesty and friendship.
The Secret War has a detailed plot with a lot of going on. There is much being accomplished and new characters are coming into play. Jack seems to have an ever-expanding group of friends. I love that an old character is brought back near the end of the story too. One of my favorite characters is Stendeval, who serves as a sort of adviser to Jack. Stendeval would often quote others to pass along his wisdom.
Action and adventure spill over the pages of The Secret War. This hero-based saga also won the heart of my younger brother who stayed up late reading all about Jack.
RATING
5 Loved
COVER COMMENTS
I am loving the bright green with yellow background. Jack and his pals are walking on floating rocks above a deep canyon. It’s very Imagine Nation-ish if you ask me.
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