Review: Operation Red Jericho

I liked 'Operation Red Jericho', because it was very original and obviously the publishers had tried to make it original by making the cover different and putting maps and diagrams in. But, it didn't quite live up to my expectations, they were pretty high because of the cover (which goes to show you can never judge a book by it's cover.) I thought it was going to be more exciting than it was. It is quite slow to start and it is quite complicated. Towards the end I had to read through parts of it really slowly and re-read things to make sure I could understand. You definitely can't speed read through this book. I would've liked it to be less complicated and less scientific. I prefer action and cliff-hangers.

But, it's not all bad. What makes it good is it's originality with all its little maps and diagrams. They are so neat and detailed and one map folds out to be six times as big as the book. Also, the idea is pretty good: an adventure story set in China in the 1920's, and secret documents discovered by an artist in 2002. My favourite bit was the end when it all came together! There was an explosion and all the mystery was solved. Operation Red Jericho is completely original. I've never read anything like it. It's aimed at children aged 9 to 12, and people who likes maps, compasses, gravity and science and that sort of stuff. I'd recommend it anyone who's got time on their hands and enjoys science combined with an unusual adventure story. Overall it's a good book. So my rating out of ten is 7/10.

About the team

This story was produced by Noah Judge, 11. It was published by Children's Express.