Zach's Lie (Paperback)

by Roland Smith (Author) "Commander IF is in my shirt pocket..." (more)
Key Phrases: opera ghost, sheep camp, Agent Pelton, Uncle Don, Aunt Doris (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Zach Granger has to tell many lies; for one, his name is really Jack Osborne, and for another his parents aren't divorced rather, his father, a pilot, is in prison for transporting drugs for a ruthless cartel. When his father agrees to cooperate with the DEA, his family goes into a witness protection program, with new names and a new home in Elko, Nev. Will they be safe from the cartel? Smith (Thunder Cave; Jaguar) paints a realistic picture of Zach's complicated emotions: he misses his father and his old life, he's nervous about making a mistake and he is uncomfortable lying, especially to his new girlfriend, Catalin. He also takes to his new surroundings, especially Catalin's grandfather's sheep camp in the mountains, and the friendly hotel that's home to Sam, the warm and wise custodian of Zach's school. Smith keeps the tensions high: readers will suspect right away that the detailed journals Zach keeps are going to lead to trouble, and will understand the hero's anxiety when lines from it begin to appear on his classroom's chalkboard. Drug lord Alonzo Aznar is a stereotypical bad guy (he has a ponytail, dresses all in black and "likes getting his hands dirty from time to time") and Sam's confession that he is a former KGB spy feels too convenient. But these are small caveats; readers are sure to be caught up in Zach's suspenseful adventure. Ages 10-14.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9-In this contemporary suspense novel, Jack's father, a pilot, has been arrested for drug trafficking. When the cartel thugs come to their house to terrorize the teen, his mother, and his sister, they become candidates for the Witness Security Program and must change their identities. Although the family is told not to bring anything to Nevada that would link them to their former lives, Jack, now Zach, cannot leave his diary behind. With the villains searching for them, there can be no slipups, but the young protagonist soon learns that, in the small town of Elko, "Everyone knows Everything about Everybody." The diary and Zach's vulnerability are well-developed devices, but the plot soon becomes compromised by some unbelievable twists and turns. Zach is befriended by the school custodian, Sam, who acts as the principal's assistant, handling disciplinary cases with counseling and boxing therapy. Sam introduces Zach to the Basque people, sheep tenders in the hills outside town, who conveniently provide a hiding place for Zach when the bad guys arrive. In the biggest stretch of all, Sam outwits the thugs with talents he acquired as a KGB agent. Other details and characters merely set up the chain of events, which is unfortunate because individual chapters are often exciting, and there is a great potential to satisfy suspense fans.
Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (April 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786814403
• ISBN-13: 978-0786814404
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,553 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lies, April 24, 2006

By	CoolTigersRule (Versailles, OH USA) - See all my reviews

Lies
This book is about a boy named Jack Osborne whose father buys a small airline business. But the business doesn't go to well and they become desperate for money. So Jacks dad meets a guy named Alonzo, and Alonzo traffics drugs and says the money is good. So they become good friends and Zach's dad starts smuggling drugs using his airline company. But the D.E.A finds out and arrests Zach's dad. Alonzo then comes to America trying to kill the Osborne's so they won't tell who else is working with him. So the D.E.A put the Osborne's in the witness protection program were they will all change their names and move to a different town. But Alonzo is still hunting them with the DEA hot on his trail but will it be too late for the Osborne's read and find out.
I really liked this book but there were still some dislikes. Like the beginning of the book started out kind of boring and I was abut ready to stop reading it but it then got allot better. It also had some suspense so that made it enjoyable.
I would recommend this book to somebody who likes books with suspense and a little bit of adventure. And if you are a new kid at your school it would be a good book to read because you can relate to Jack and how he has to adjust to new things.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zach's Lie, February 22, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Zach's Lie (Hardcover)

I give Zach's Lie 5 stars because it is a very interesting book. If you like mysteries this is the book for you.
One night Jack, Joanne, and his mom are ransacked by three drug smuggling men and were threatened to be killed. Police! The men shouted and left the house. The DEA {Drug Enforcement Agency} came and arrested the family and took them to headquarters and had them move to a different town, change their names, and no more contact with friends, [like no more letters, telephones calls, and e-mail.]
In the new town Elko, Nevada he meets a girl named Catalin and the janitor, Sam. Catalin took Zach up where her grandpa had a sheep farm. That's where the bad guys found him.
Do not put this book down until your done. Find out what happens to Zach when you read Zach's Lie.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The THRILLING Zachs Lie, October 25, 2004

A Kid's Review

Jack Osbourne has almost found himself in a dream, although he wishes it all were one. As soon as he finds out that his father is an illegal drug seller and there is a group of men trying to kill his father, as well as him, his mother, and sister everything changes. While their father is in a prison , also for safety from these murderous men, Jack , and the rest of his family have to leave their hometown, change identities , and start a whole new life without ever telling anybody who they really are. They just have to Lie. Them being under the witness protection program, they have certain boundry's and are under cover. Join the chase to see if Alonzo and his henchmen find the real Jack Osbourne and family. And all the thrilling, suspenseful things that happen.