Jimmy Coates, Assassin by Joe Craig

June 18, 2007 · Filed under Adventure, Older Fiction, Science Fiction

I have discovered a good Alex Rider adventure ‘read-a-like’ in the Jimmy Coates series.  Whereas Alex is 100% human boy (of course not like any human you would know in real life) who happens to be very knowledgeable and skilled in martial arts, motorcycle riding, tightrope walking, etc., Jimmy is an 11-year-old boy just finding out he is 38% human and 62% super-technology.  Jimmy is computer chip enhanced to perform all of his super deeds.  His super-powerful programming has not yet reached its full potential, but now that he realizes he was ‘created’ by his government to be a killer, he works – very hard – at resisting those assassin instincts.  Jimmy spurns his creators and joins forces with those against the corrupt British government.  He has ‘parents’ to deal with, a teacher, a sister, friends, and friends’ families, who all have big parts in this science fiction intrigue, some being on the side of good, and the others – definitely, being enemies.

 

Jimmy can outrun, out jump, outfight anyone after him, but is also programmed to fly helicopters, speak French, breath underwater and much more, along with the program he’s resisting — to assassinate others.  This first book of the series introduces you to the characters and sets the stage for good guys vs. bad guys.  There is a great sequel, as well, called Jimmy Coates:  Target and in that book, you will find that Jimmy meets his match, literally, when the corrupt government force NJ7 sends a second young computer chip enhanced assassin to bring Jimmy down.

 

At first I thought the Alex Rider books had more action, bad guys, and violence than the Jimmy Coates books, but I’m realizing Jimmy has lots of that too.  If you like danger and adventure, fights and chases, and kids on the side of good outsmarting bad guys in superhuman ways, then give one of these books a try.  I like them.

Posted by: Fran D.