From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up–In
Zach's Lie (Hyperion, 2001), Jack Osborne's father agreed to testify against drug czar Alonzo Aznar. Although the family joined the Witness Security Program, Aznar eventually found them and notified his minions, and Jack narrowly escaped death at their hands. In this thrilling sequel, Smith provides enough background to understand Jack's past and the pressures that he now faces. His older sister, Joanne, has moved to L.A., where she plans to attend college and pursue a musical career. His father, under close watch by the U.S. Marshal Service, is scheduled to testify at the trial. For his own safety, Jack is sent to live with Joanne. When he arrives, he discovers that she has been selected for an American Idol-type show, and that her image has been splashed all over the news media. Aznar's men find and kidnap the siblings and move them to a vineyard in South America. From that point, the author tells the story from dual perspectives: that of Jack and Joanne as they try to escape and that of their parents and their struggle to find their children. The two story lines collide when the Osbornes arrive at the vineyard, posing as dealers. The action is nonstop and the characters are compelling. The fast pace will keep even reluctant readers interested. A highly entertaining read.
–Emily Garrett, Naaman Forest High School, Garland, TX Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Gr. 5-8. In
Zack's Lie (2001), after Jack's dad's arrest for drug trafficking, the family entered the Witness Security Program to hide from the dangerous drug cartel that will be exposed in court. As the story picks up in this action-packed sequel, Jack arrives in Los Angeles to stay with his college-age sister, Joanne, only to find that she has foolishly blown their cover. Kidnapped and flown to Argentina, Jack and Joanne show their mettle in a series of violent confrontations and other frightening situations. Filling in readers on the background from the previous book takes a bit of time, but once the pace of the story picks up, it never flags; both the heroes and the villains seem larger than life. Sometimes the story strains credibility but may be just the thing for readers who crave plot-driven fiction full of action and danger.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
