Customer Reviews

Hurricane Gold: A James Bond Adventure (Playaway Adult Fiction)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
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The book is very fast-paced, with the action never stopping. Literally. This book is an adrenaline rush, the violence level very intense. The story is reminiscent of like a video game,because Bond is on a very DANGEROUS "scavenger hunt" this time. This book is like Young Bond himself, running fast to only stop in the end. The new villain; El Huracan; is not in this that much, but he is definitely a Bond Villain! Precious Stone was annoying at first, but she was alright later. JJ must be a cute boy. Every other characters were well explained, and Manny the Girl (the one on the cover with a gun)was AWESOME!!!
I ordered By Royal Command from the UK first (I wanted the US Hurricane Gold instead, so I didn't get the UK one). It was epic, slow, but the story was top-notch. A love-action story dealing with communism. But "Hurricane Gold" is just classic Bond! I read it in one day. It will be hard for kids 10-15, since of the fast paced pages, difficult plot points, and descriptions. I thought that it has complicated plot points, but it's nothing compared to Double or Die. I would recommend this book to kids 13+.
Get it, even though the story is like "Alex Rider: Skeleton Key"!

I started reading James Bond when JFK recommended Ian Fleming as one of his favorites. I have not missed a one since. This is a good read, maybe my favorite of the Young Bond series.

Hurricane Gold is a superb book about the young days of James Bond. He is a fourteen your old in the fourth book of the series. In the series, Higson shows a young boy thrown into several painful battles. A great past for agent 007. In Hurricane Gold, Bond is visiting a rich friend's(Jack Stone) house with his Aunt. Jack takes his Aunt to Palenque and James is left in his Mexico house with the servants and Jack's kids, Precious and JJ. That night, a hurricane hits and a group of thieves comes to steal naval documents. Not able to open the safe, the JJ and Precious are taken hostage. James must go on a journey to save the kids and recover the documents. The thieves plans have been changed courtesy of the hurricane. James is taken to the island of Lagrimas Negras, an island of thieves. It is controlled by an evil leader, El Huracan. With a heartstopping climax and a journey through the avenue of death, Hurricane Gold is by far the best young James Bond book in the series.

**WARNING: This review does have a few minor plot spoilers**

Charlie Higson's newest Young Bond novel, Hurricane Gold, is a bit of an oddity. One aspect that always shined through as the winning formula of the previous three novels in the series, especially evident in both Blood Fever and Double or Die, was the delicate and interesting mixture between the young James Bond character and the adult 007 he will eventually become. The main character is most undoubtedly a boy and one could argue that is the prime audience these novels should be attempting to please, but Higson always managed to perfectly fit together the puzzle pieces such as new and intriguing locations, the outlandish villains and their sinister plans so that they worked on both the Young Bond and 007 levels. With Hurricane Gold, it seems like the focus was much more in creating a young boy's adventure story and it results in somewhat throwing off that compelling combination.

In the most recent novel in the series, Double or Die, the story's events were always on a tight timescale as James and his friends frantically rushed around London trying to solve several cryptic clues in search of the missing professor. Hurricane Gold's plot is slightly less defined, but the pace still moves at breakneck speed. One of the first things the reader will immediately notice upon starting Hurricane Gold is the absence of any scenes at Eton. With this location out of the way, the action can promptly begin in Mexico. This is an interesting departure for the series in terms of the basic setup for the storyline, but Higson makes it work by interspersing three letters from Bond's friends at Eton (Pritpal Nandra, Perry Mandeville and Mr. Merriot), thus keeping the reader in tune with the general events going on at the school.

The boy's adventure story aspect is most clearly evident in the setup and execution of the many action sequences throughout the majority of the novel. With Blood Fever and Double or Die, the action seemed to alternate with breaks evenly throughout (particularly in Double or Die because of the mystery elements), but in Hurricane Gold, the key word is action from the very beginning. Sequences such as the hurricane and resulting flood are effective, but combined altogether it just doesn't completely feel like the Young James Bond stories we've had in the past.

One of the highlights of Hurricane Gold is the Bond girl of the story, Precious Stone. In a particularly inspired introduction, Bond first meets the initially pretentious and conceited girl as she sits in front of a large make-up mirror, painting her nails: "`You must be James,' she said without looking round." The sequence is faintly reminiscent of Bond's first encounter with the cool and carefree Tiffany Case in Ian Fleming's Diamonds are Forever. Her exhaustive complaining during much of the first half of the novel balances well with the common sense approach Bond uses throughout and it makes for a believable relationship between the two.

Slightly less successful (for the first time in the series) are the villains of Hurricane Gold. El Huracán is certainly one of the more outlandish characters featured so far and he makes a strong impression as he introduces the avenida de la muerte--the avenue of death--at the very beginning of the novel. The main problem is that his appearances throughout the story are limited and even with the addition of details on his past life, he just doesn't make the same kind of impression that earlier villains such as Count Ugo Carnifex and Sir John Charnage did. More effective is the mysterious Theda Glass who leads the gang of thieves and interacts with Bond throughout the first half of the novel. Unfortunately, due to the storyline, the character's importance ultimately pales in comparison to El Huracán.

As with the previous novels in the series, Hurricane Gold has its own unique torture sequence, this time with an assortment of unfriendly creatures. La Avenida de la Muerte has a little bit of everything, whether it be snakes, scorpions, or crocodiles. The surprise of not knowing what is in store in each new room as Bond and Precious proceed through the avenue of death makes for an effective climax.

Do I recommend Hurricane Gold for interested Bond fans? Yes; definitely. It features several intriguing locations that are new to the literary 007 canon and has a pace that never tires. In turn, the aspect that makes the novel disappointing compared to the previous novels in the series is that isn't as enjoyable as a James Bond novel. Hurricane Gold works extremely well as a young boy's adventure novel, but it just feels like the mixture of Young Bond and 007 isn't quite complete.

commanderbond.net

Young Bond is BACK in this terrific 4th Young Bond novel. This time author Charlie Higson shakes up the formula and elects not to have any of the action set at Eton. Instead, Higson throws Bond instantly into danger in a hurricane ravaged Mexico (surprisingly, a location James Bond has never been before). The book contains a wild collection of sinister villains (the henchman "Manny the Girl" is one of Higosn's greatest creations yet) and is probably the most harrowing and "Bond-like" of all the Young Bond novels. With this book, Charlie seems to have perfected his own unique "Young Bond" formula -- a mix of James Bond, boys adventure, surprising amounts of gore, and dry wit. Fast moving and very enjoyable.

This series is a HUGE hit in the UK and it's nice to see Disney Hyperion releasing these books here in the U.S.

My 11 year old son and I shared this series. We had a great time reading and discussing the stories.I read all the Bond books when I was a younger man and wanted to introduce my son to it without some of the racier content in the adult series. I was very happy I did. The books are all well written, exciting fast reads (something my son liked) and a gave some believable background for the origins of a character we all know well. My son loved the series. We were both sad when we finished the last book. Great adventures, colorful villians and that unsinkable Bond toughness all wrapped in a fun to read package. I'll even say I enjoyed reading this series even more than the last three "adult" Bond novels. A fun read for any Bond fan and a great way to share an experience with an adventurous young girl or boy you care about. Dads and Grandpas, you won't regret it.

I bought this book as a gift for my godson. The moment he received it, he couldn't put it down! He has read all the books he can get his hands on in this series, and can't wait for more. I love that he loves to read these!

La Avenida de Muerte (The Avenue of Death)
Hurricane Gold by Charlie Higson
Hurricane Gold is about how Englander James Bond and his aunt Carmen take a trip down to Mexico. Carmen is going to Mexico to take an expedition down in the jungles, while James is going just to take a vacation. While in Mexico James is forced to stay with one of his aunt's friends the infamous Jack Stone, a world war one fighter pilot ace. His two children Jack Junior and Precious are annoying, rude, immature, and self centered. A devastating hurricane hits the Mexican coast, during the storm gangsters led by Mrs. Glass invade the house looking for Jack Stone's safe. The Stone children hide out the storm and the gangsters in an outdoor icebox. When they emerge all they can see is destruction, ruined buildings, and bodies of the dead. The Mexican coast is utterly obliterated by the devastating hurricane, so no one has time to help James with his current situation. Precious and JJ are taken hostage when James, JJ and Precious enter a small village. James manages to pass as a teenage Mexican street thug to get inside the gang with the help of Garcia, a Mexican ship captain who is kind enough to help them. Once the gangsters set up camp James finds out that the gangsters weren't looking for money but for U.S navy plans that could be sold on the black market.
James and Precious systematically kill every member of the gang except for Mrs. Glass who flees to Lagrimas Negras. James and Precious peruse her and are eventually captured on the island. They pass numerous death courses and are able to leave the island; they head on a ship set for Mexico where they are re united with family. Hurricane Gold was both action packed and exciting to read, Hurricane Gold is a fiction spy novel.

This was another good read from a series that I have come to respect much more than I originally did. Hurricane gold, not to give much away about the plot, is about the Mexican vacation James takes after the harrowing events of the last book. Of course, James Bond can't seem to get out of the bed in the morning without getting into some kind of exciting adventure. The writing, as always, is good, staying true to the Flemming's style, as well as adding his own flair in on the side. Good read, you should get it.

James Bond wasn't always a spy working for MI6. Before that, he was a school boy going to Eton in London. Of course, he sill got into many adventures. In the fourth book in this Young Bond series, James is on vacation in Mexico with his Aunt. It's meant to be a time for both of them to relax, so naturally, James ends up with two other kids in the middle of Mexico with no one he knows. When he comes across a group of gangsters who have stolen a safe that supposedly has a top secret navel document in it, James decides to steal it back. It takes him all over latin America, and eventually an island where wealthy criminals can live in peace.
This was a great novel, appropriate for all ages, but preferred by teens and younger. The author, Charles Higgson, did a great ob of expressing the characters' personalities and even Bond's sense of humor from Ian Flemming's books. Bond is constantly on the move and doing surprising things that will keep you reading chapter after chapter.
If you are a slow reader, this would be a good book to buy. However, if you can read fast, I would recommend borrowing this book from a friend or a library. I read it in a few days, and then i didn't have anything else to do with the book. Also, be aware that this is a series and there are three books before it. You don't really need to read them in order, but it can help. Especially in the third book, which brings back characters from the first.