"Exciting ethical adventure with pirates, kidnapping and coral conservation"
A Jack Courtney Adventure : with Chris Wakling
This second Jack Courtney Adventure by Wilbur Smith and Chris Wakling is every bit as edge-of-your-seat-entertaining and environmentally aware as its predecessor, Cloudburst - think Alex Rider with conservation conscience.
After enduring a terrifying time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jack and his mum, plus friends Amelia and Xander, are on the island of Zanzibar for a much-needed holiday, where Jack is treasure-hunting for lost wedding rings (Zanzibar is a popular honeymoon destination) in the idyllic sea. He plans to use his share of any spoils to help his mum, because “raising awareness of the plight of the coral reefs costs money.”
Then, on one of their treasure-hunting trips, and not long after Jack is dealt a bombshell about his father, they venture further afield in the Thunderbolt boat and are captured by gun-wielding Somali pirates. Mo, a boy with the pirates, advises them to “stay calm”, which is easier said than done when you wind up in a training camp for child soldiers under the command of General Sir who, as Mo explains, “steals children for others to use. While they’re here he gives them a little training with guns and explosives so they’re more valuable, and then he sells them on to the militia, or the army, whoever will pay.”
With its unrelenting sense of danger underpinned by serious environmental and social issues - the destruction of coral reefs; child labour in their Zanzibar hotel; Somali child soldiers forced to fight for Al‑Shabaab - Thunderbolt is an adventure with ethics. What’s more, the short chapters and sharply focussed action scenes make this hugely accessible to reluctant readers.
Part of a series but works perfectly as a standalone adventure story.
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Second in a brand new action adventure series starring 14-year-old Jack Courtney - a hero to rival Alex Rider - from worldwide bestselling author Wilbur Smith.
Jack and his friends Amelia and Xander are in Zanzibar diving for lost treasure to support Jack's mother's coral protection project. Going further than usual on their last day, their dive boat is lured into a trap and captured by Somali pirates. Determined that his mother shouldn't pay a ransom for their release, Jack won't give up his attempts to escape. Transferred to a militia training camp for boy soldiers, the trio's only hope is the resourceful Somali boy Mo who befriends them. Can they outwit the ruthless General Sir and his merciless troops in the second gripping adventure from the authors of Cloudburst.
The Jack Courtney Adventures are co-written by author Christopher Wakling. Wakling is a novelist and travel writer whose previous books include On Cape Three Points, What I Did and Escape and Evasion.
Christopher Wakling said ‘Wilbur Smith’s epic adventure stories have been a publishing phenomenon since I was a boy. This is a fantastic opportunity to help reimagine them for a younger audience and introduce the Courtney dynasty to a new generation of readers.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Thunderbolt and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Thunderbolt features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Ecological and Environmental Interest - Fiction, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Thunderbolt is available in Paperback
Thunderbolt was written by Wilbur Smith and published by Piccadilly Press an imprint of Templar Publishing
Thunderbolt has 276 pages
Yes it is part of The Jack Courtney Adventures series
£7.19
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