The book overall all is tightly plotted, well-paced, and has a wholly satisfying conclusion. I liked that the criminal elements in the book do have shades of grey, but we never lose the idea of “good vs bad,” which I think is probably vital in a book aimed at 9-12-year-olds. They’d stop at nothing in order to be rich. Some of the players, however, are just out and out venal. There is genuine doubt as to whether perhaps Archie’s dad is corrupt, and whether other characters in the book might have chosen different paths, if alternatives had been open to them. The book examines the idea that “good people do bad things,” but it is not schmaltzy or unrealistic. One has a parent who is a cop, the other a convicted criminal. There isn’t anything in this book with the emotional heft as the portrayal of asylum seekers that we saw in Running Out of Time, but nevertheless, Fox handles the emotional intersection of these two characters with aplomb. Short bursts of action, a reveal, followed by a regroup and another burst of action.Īrchie and Bunny make an excellent pairing. You want to know the resolution to the central mystery right from the moment it is revealed. Deadlock is a book that demands to be read. Simon Fox has a great way with action and suspense. Why Read Deadlock?ĭeadlock is an entertaining story aimed at 9 to 12-year-olds. She has no doubts as to the innocence of Archie’s dad, yet together, they are drawn into a plot of grand theft and police corruption. When Archie arrives at the safe house, he meets Bunny, the daughter of a convicted felon. Yet, if he is innocent, why is he so good at picking locks? Why was his dad arrested? Surely he’s innocent. He finds himself on the run, with nothing but an address of somewhere safe to stay. As a way of overcoming their loss, they compete against one another to see who can complete lock-breaking challenges the fastest.Īrchie’s world implodes when his dad is arrested for the theft of some precious diamonds. He’s taught Archie how to pick locks and crack safes. His dad is a policeman who works for the antiques and art crimes team. Archie’s mum has died and together they are battling through their grief. There isn’t anything in it quite as clever as the time travel elements from Running out of Time, but instead, we have Archie, a 13-year-old safecracker extraordinaire.Īrchie and his dad bonded over lockpicks. It gives us new characters and a new premise. What Is Deadlock?ĭeadlock is not a sequel to Running Out of Time. Once again, he has delivered a fast-paced intriguing thriller with emotional weight. It was one of the best books I read in 2022, so I was interested to see how Fox’s follow-up, Deadlock, would compare. It’s a great time-bending caper that carries an important message about the plight of refugees. Last year, I reviewed Simon Fox’s debut children’s novel, Running Out of Time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |