Takedown by Graham Marks

Set in the year 2667, Graham Marks transports us to the Earth of the future, where the existence of the human race was guaranteed six hundred and sixty years ago by Simon Tellkind’s invention of a perfect system to supply the world with power. However scientists have just discovered a perilous flaw in Tellkind’s equations, meaning that actually his invention is slowly ripping the universe apart.

Thus begins the story, as one soldier, Dachron Amok, is selected to take a suicide mission across time and space to inhabit Tellkind’s body and to amend his mistake. However, the operation meets a glitch as Dachron finds himself sharing the body not of Tellkind but of his sixteen-year-old godson Steven Anthony. Together they have just seven days to save the world.

A fine balance between sci-fi and action adventure, Takedown’s fast moving pace and gripping suspense makes it an enthralling read for even the most reluctant of readers. Its relatively short chapters and its overall length would probably better suit younger teenage readers. However, whilst I found the storyline absorbing, I did feel that it came to a rather abrupt ending, which left me feeling a little disappointed.

Overall, an exciting novel for younger readers, which I would rate as a solid 7 out of ten.

Reviewer: Jenny Price