Rat Catcher by Chris Ryan

Rat Catcher

by Chris Ryan

When I picked up this book I had high expectations for it , after reading another book in the ‘Alpha Force ‘ sereis. And I wasn’t dissapointed. Alpha Force is a team of young people who fight crime and injustice around the globe. It consists of Amber, Leo, Paulo, Hex and Alex - they are about 13 to14 years old. The book is an action/fiction, but it’s surprisingly realistic.

The start of the story is set in Quito (Ecuador’s capital) where Alpha Force try to gather information about a mysterious drug lord who has apparently been using street children to smuggle drugs throughout the country. They think that this is also linked to the disappearances of street children. Whilst Paulo is on the streets gathering information, he encounters a little girl called Eliza who is being blackmailed and tries to help her. But then things go badly wrong. The drug lord they have been trying to find captures Paulo and Eliza. The story continues with Alpha Team following Paulo into the mountains where they have to rescue Paulo and pursue the evil drug baron.

The story is a lot about survival. It showed how wealth and greed can compel people to do horrible things, eg. shoot people. Teamwork and friendship also play a large part in this story.

This book was a generally enjoyable read. I could see how Chris Ryan’s experience in the SAS influenced the book. The events in the book, although exciting and action-packed were still realistic and believable. The book was easy to read and not over complicated. I found some parts of the book brutal, eg when Eliza’s brother was shot, but it was necessary to the story.

I would recommend this book mainly to boys. If you enjoyed Alex Ryder books and Young Bond books, then you will probably enjoy this one. The vocabulary is probably best suited for 10 years and over. Rat Catcher is one in a series of several Alpha Force books, so if you enjoy this there’s plenty more to read.

I rate this book 4 out of 5.

MWhippo