Gatekeepers: Evil Star (Hardcover)

~ Anthony Horowitz (Author) "There was something wrong about the house in Eastfield Terrace..." (more)
Key Phrases: petrol tanker, Professor Chambers, Old Ones, Susan Ashwood (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–Though this is the second installment in this series, new readers will catch on quickly. Fresh from his victory over Raven's Gate, Matt is once again called upon by the mysterious Nexus. As one of the five kids foretold by prophecy to fight back the Old Ones, the 14-year-old is needed in South America. From the very beginning, his enemies seem to always be one step ahead of him. But these shadowy opponents don't count on Matt's unexpected allies: the second of the five, and an ancient tribe of Inca warriors. While the story and characters are not particularly original, and more experienced readers will not be glued to their seats, the plot turns and emotional relationships will more than satisfy thrill seekers, especially those already into Horowitz's Alex Rider series (Philomel). A must-have for reluctant, middle-grade boys.–Morgan Johnson-Doyle, Sierra High School, Colorado Springs, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5--8. Fourteen-year-old Matt Freeman, who forestalled the evil Old Ones in the riveting Raven's Gate (2005), finds himself on yet another precipitous adventure. This time Matt and Richard, the journalist with whom Matt has been staying, travel to Peru, where Nexus believes a second gate to the underworld is poised to open. The when and how of the event are left to Matt to discover, which he eventually does, but not without some lugubrious descriptions, an abundance of dramatic escapes, and the help of a Peruvian teen, Pedro, with whose destiny Matt's is linked. Although this is neither as tightly constructed nor as compelling as the lead title in the Gatekeepers Series (which was equal parts horror and adventure), this book still has its moments, especially at the end, when the secret of the second gate is revealed, and Pedro finally settles into his place as the second of the children prophesied to save the world. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition. 1 in number line edition (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439679966
• ISBN-13: 978-0439679961
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #262,170 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The The Gatekeepers Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One More Time: Peru, June 8, 2006

By	United Kingdom - See all my reviews

"Brian remained where he was, sitting on the sofa, his legs slightly apart, his mouth hanging open. He had been like that ever since Gwenda had stuck the kitchen knife into his chest. It was still there, jutting out of the bloody rag that once had been his shirt."


After Raven's Gate, Matt Freeman tries to put all of the events that have happened behind. Now living in a flat with Richard Cole, he attends a private school in Yorkshire and hopes to return back to his normal life. However, when a suicide bombing occurs at the school he knows he will never return. Matt and Richard are met by the Nexus to tell them that a second gate is about to open in Peru, and that a diary that tells where the gate is in the hands of a man named Morton. He meets with him but then leaves momentarily, Morton is killed and the diary stolen. Unwilling, Matt and Richard are whisked off to Peru in search of the gate where the two are split up. There he meets a street kid named Pedro who looks familiar but who he has never met before. He finds out Pedro is the second Gatekeeper. Now stuck in Peru and with the police looking for him and searching for the gate and Richard he travels the country and tries to learn more about Salamanda a rich businessman. Back in England, the Nexus is wondering if they have a traitor in the group. When Matt finds out Salamanda has the diary and plans to open the gate, he and Pedro are in for a race for their lives and the world.

The second book in the Gatekeepers series is really good. Although it wasn't suspenseful as Raven's Gate, it made up for that with a lot of action. The genre of this book is suspenseful/fiction. What I liked about this book was that it was fast paced and kept into the plot with every chapter. The other reason why I liked this book was that the character showed lots of different emotions about how they did not want to get involved other people's problems. This almost like the Alex Rider series in which the main character is a 14 year-old boy who has special talents and are sought out by the secret organizations in England but do not want to get involved but do any way. (Anthony Horowitz did Alex Rider series). Some of the emotions I felt were shocked and sadness when the plot reveals characters and deaths. All in all, the book was a great sequel to Raven's Gate and I enjoyed it very much.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 4, 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

EVIL STAR is the second book in the Anthony Horowitz series called THE GATEKEEPERS.

In book one, titled Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers), main character Matt discovers he is one of five specially chosen teens. Their purpose is to save the world. Matt doesn't know the other five and must "close" Raven's Gate on his own. As the second book, EVIL STAR, begins, Matt finds himself in Peru meeting up with Pedro, who turns out to be one of the chosen five.

Matt and Pedro join forces, although it isn't easy since Matt speaks only English and Pedro speaks Spanish. Their unusual connection does allow them to communicate while in a dream state. They learn each others' stories and realize that their paths will someday cross the paths of their remaining team.

Together Matt and Pedro must find and prevent the opening of the second gate. Its history is intertwined with the ancient Incas and the Peruvian culture. As they search the seamier side of Peru, they encounter kidnapping, gun battles, the evil "big headed" Salamanda, high altitude jungle treks, and terrifying helicopter rides. Exactly what is the Evil Star and can they find the next gate in time to close it and save the world from the Old Ones?

Horowitz provides his usual fast-paced, non-stop action in this new series. It is sure to impress his already established fans and create plenty of new ones.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ryan's Reveiw, May 23, 2007

A Kid's Review

I thought this book was way better than Raven's Gate. The story just gets better and better.

This book is about Matt going to Peru because the Nexus believes there is another gate and it's supposed to open soon. So Matt goes to Peru and as he's leaving the aiport, they get ambushed. Richard gets kiddnaped and Matt gets away. He then meets a boy named Pedro. Pedro takes him to a place called Poison town. Matt gets a whole new look because the cops are after him. He goes on a wild journey through town, through jungles. After they come out from the Cloud Forest, Matt meets the Incas, an ancient civilazation, and they beleive that Pedro is one of the five. They go to a labratory in a town because they think it will stop the gate from opening. They fight guards and then they find out the gate is still opening so they get sent all the way into a desert by a helecopter. The helecopter crashes and Pedro broke his ankle and he can't fight. Matt goes out alone and then he watches in horror as the Old Ones come out of the ground. Will the Matt win and save the world or will the king of the Old Ones detroy Matt and take over the world...

I think this book is great for someone who likes actionbooks and people 10 or older.