2.5 – 3 Stars

Harry Fearn is a gamer. Specifically, he is a high school student in the Islington district in London and an aficionado of SAS-We Dare We Win on his PlayStation. He has a plan for his future. A plan to join the SAS, the elite British military force organized and trained for special operations, surveillance, and counterterrorism. But first, Harry will spend a summer in Florida with his aunt, Alison Spenser (well, no longer Harry's aunt by marriage, but that's a story for his uncle to share.) Alison is the hotel manager for a 5-star beachfront hotel, and Harry will be one of her employees. Never did Harry's parents or Harry imagine that he would be using his gamer skills as the hotel becomes a hostage scene. A hostage scene with 500 hostages, including Alison, world leaders, and government officials, held by 60 terrorists.

The character development of Harry, his aunt, his parents, and a coworker that caught Harry's attention for more than their mutual employment, and the pace of suspense captured my attention. With those focal points, I set aside the moments during the hostage drama that seemed more fantasy than realism. I was disappointed and distracted by copy edit errors.

The novel may entice any reader who enjoys action/suspense thrillers and be recommended to reluctant readers who would rather play video games than read. ( )