Boy X is on the shortlist for the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2017 in the Hooked on Books category, so was instantly added to my summer reads pile to get ahead of the game, ready for the release of the shortlist in October. I settled down on my sunbed and was thrown straight into the action…

Ash woke up drugged and confused, with no idea where he was; his last memory being dragged away from his father’s funeral by his Mum – a genetic scientist – only to discover she’s locked in a science lab on a mysterious island and infected with a deadly disease. He has just 24 hours to save her, and the rest of the world.

What follows is an action packed adventure through a jungle filled with animals, far bigger and deadlier than they would be on any other island, that watch his every move. His companion, Isabel, knows the island and how to get to the other side, and provides Ash with the strength and courage he needs to keep going.

A real page turner, with a strong character for boys and girls to identify with. I couldn’t put it down, and when I’d finished I gave it to my son, who also read it in a day. He loved the clock ticking down as he read each chapter!

Great for fans of The Inventory: Iron Fist, Stormbreaker and Jimmy Coates: Killer.