Macmillan 2001

492p pbk $28.00

ISBN: 0-7329-1085-4

“The single greatest fear that America faces today is that its military forces no longer tolerate the continuing incompetence of its civilian leadership”

Welcome to Area 7, a top-secret military base hidden deep in the Utah desert involved in dark and sinister experiments and guarded by the best-of-the-best elite military unit; the 7^th squadron. Today Area 7 was blessed with the honor of a visit from the one and only President of the United States. However the commander of the 7^th squadron had another idea. 14 devastating bombs hiding in air force hangers in major cities in the US, and only the president can stop them from detonating. Thrust into a deadly war game, the president must survive for his country to survive. Among the president’s crew was Shane “Scarecrow” Schofield. Rumor has it Schofield is a good man in a storm, judging by what the president just walked into he had better be…

Described as “Australia’s new master of action” Matthew Reilly delivers a veritable feast of fast paced, almost non-stop action in this his fourth book. Area 7 is the long awaited sequel to the awesomely popular Ice Station and I can assure you that it has no failings like so many sequels these days. Area 7 not only lives up to Ice Station but surpasses it as well and don’t worry you don’t have to of read Ice Station to understand Area 7. Matthew Reilly writes incredibly well, making you feel a part of the action and make it nearly impossible to stop reading once everything really hits the fan.

An absolutely excellent book which I say is a must read for anyone 15 or up who doesn’t want to think about what they are reading but just wants to be taken on the ride of a lifetime. Action lovers and Arnie fans rejoice, as it doesn’t get much better than this. 10/10

Jason, aged 16, Canberra, ACT

It started off as a routine visit to Restricted Area 7. A bunch of marines, including Shane Schofield from the mission to the Ice Station about 3 years previously, are escorting the president on this operation. Everything seems to go fine, until Charles “Caesar” Russell comes on the Area 7 T.V.’s and announces that the president had a transmitter on his heart. If his heart stops beating, fourteen American cities go up in smoke. Not only that, but he has to restart the football – the briefcase which controls America’s nuclear arsenal – every ninety minutes!

Area 7 is an action/thriller book, which might be inappropriate for anyone under fifteen years of age. Matthew Reilly really gets a hold of you from page 1, and I was not able to put it down until I was finished. He describes the scenes realistically, placing images in your head that make you feel as if you’re there. His story line is believable, with no apparent flaws.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a great story line with lots of killing

Oak, aged 16, Canberra, ACT