Recruited: An Alias Prequel (Mass Market Paperback)

by Lynn Mason (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-This work of contemporary suspense is a prequel novel, based on the enormously popular Alias TV series. Brainy but socially inept Sydney Bristow is a freshman at UCLA, where she plans to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a teacher. It's not long, however, before she begins questioning her reasons for wanting to teach. Meanwhile, she strikes out with a cute guy, gets fired the first day on a job, and spends a lot of time pitying herself. Then, a recruiter mysteriously appears from an organization Sydney believes is the CIA. With an offer to become a secret agent, she can move in a different, and far more exciting, direction. She is not quick to give up her old life, however. Half the book is over before she decides to accept the offer. It's understandable: the penalty for deserting, should she want out, is certain death. Also, she is not allowed to tell anyone about the offer. Readers are into the final quarter before Sydney becomes embroiled in heart-stopping danger, but they should feel that the payoff is worth the wait. While the prose and the plot development are workmanlike, the intended audience won't care. Because of its connection to the TV show, even reluctant readers should devour this one.
Catherine Ensley, Latah County Free Library District, Moscow, ID
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Terror-filled eyes. Lungs choked with water. A pounding heartbeat.
For Sydney Bristow, it’s a typical day in her not-so-typical after-school job–she’s an agent for SD-6, a top-secret division of the CIA. Or so she thinks.

This prequel is the first in a new series based on the smash ABC show Alias–it’s Sydney’s life before she discovers she’s working for the bad guys, juxtaposing normal college life against her fabulous exploits as a working spy.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books for Young Readers (October 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553493981
• ISBN-13: 978-0553493986
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #635,634 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alias Recruited, October 21, 2002

By	Amy R. (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews

Alias Recruited is an excellent beginning for the Alias series. This book gives insight into the life of Sydney Bristow before she finds out the truth about SD-6 and joins the CIA as a double agent. In the book, Sydney is a college student studying to be a teacher like her late mother. She is smart and studious, but is shy and doesn't have any luck on the dating scene. Her only close friend is her outgoing roommate Francie. Her father has always been distant. She feels like she doesn't belong and she can't do anything right. That soon changes when she is recruited by an organization that says they are the CIA. She finally excels at something and finds a place where she belongs. This book focuses on her life in college, her recruitment into SD-6, and her first 6 months in SD-6. It also introduces the characters of Francie, Noah Hicks, Sloane, and Jack Bristow. It is a must read for any fan of Alias.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Background to the TV Show, October 29, 2002

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Sydney Bristow has finally entered college. Reserved and a book worm, she hopes to find independence in the academic setting. But making friends and finding a good job isn't all it's cracked up to be. She's getting discouraged when her life changes forever.

One day, a stranger offers her a job as an agent for SD-6, a covert branch of the CIA. Once her training begins, a new world opens up to her. But is she really capable of fitting in to this new world?

As a diehard fan of the TV show, I had to read this book. I was very impressed by it. Even though fans already know the basics of what is presented here, the author still manages to make it interesting. I had a hard time putting it down, dying to know what happened next. Furthermore, the author maintains continuity with the show for even small details, which is great fun for fans. The characters read like they sound on TV, and I was also impressed by the author's use of the cast of characters. Not all the characters from the show appear in this book or play major roles, which perfectly fits the show's timeline.

My only complaint is that the first chapter spends a bit too long giving us the background on Syd we know from the show without developing this novel's plot. Overall, it's a fast, entertaining read that will please fans of the series. I'm looking forward to future prequel novels.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Look at Younger Sydney, June 23, 2004

By	Melissa McCauley (North Little Rock, AR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book answers the how, where and why questions of Sydney's recruitment into SD-6, so is great backstory for hard core Alias fans like myself. The writing was ok, but could be better, and would probably not be of any interest to those who are not fans of the TV series. I was disappointed that the book did not go into what is alluded to in later installments, that Sydney had know Arvin Sloan before this meeting.