For the last 6 months Axel and Daisha have been pursued by men trying to steal their parent's invention. You see, their parents invention always people to transport simply by GPS coordinates instantaneously. Their parents worked for a wealthy investor who wants to use the invention solely for financial gain. To prevent that Axel and Daisha's parent decided to destroy the invention but were killed before they could. Their last words to the kids were to take the devices to a mysterious person (turns out not to be person but a place) and destroy it.

Can Axel and Daisha keep evading the men in pursuit and destroy the devices before it is too late? I wish I knew :) This is the first book in a series and it ain't over... But it was full of action - a bit too scientific in parts but good overall.

This book started really good. I liked the premise and the characters, but at the end started to being confusing. The end wasn't satisfactory in my opinion.

2.5 stars.

Axel and Daisha have been on the run for six months, ever since their scientist parents were gunned down by the evil scientist, Dr. Lennon Hatch. Hatch wants the kids Geoports, devices their parents constructed that let them travel quickly through space, and intends to use them for evil. After six months of evading Hatch's goons, the two end up at home, exhausted. They try to figure out what is going on, but Axel is soon snatched by Hatch. Luckily, the Geoports can only be used by the person for whom they were programmed, but the Geoport can't help Axel if it's locked up. After being separated, the two get back together and try to figure out how they can short circuit Hatch's plan. This ends up involving a trip to a super magnetic spot in India, where Axel and Daisha plan on following their parents' cryptic instructions and keep the technology away from Hatch.
Strengths: This had a good science-y feel to it with the Geoport working on magnetic power, and LOTS of chase scenes and action, including crawling through heating ducts. Axel and Daisha's relationship is nice, and it's easy to get caught up in their life on the lam. Solid middle grade book.
Weaknesses: This one made me uncomfortable for several reasons. Hatch is referred to as "Dr. Stain" because of a port wine birthmark on his face. That's bad enough, but the birthmark is occasionally inflamed and painful, which I'm not sure is something that actually happens to people with the skin condition. Maybe it does. At one point, Daisha lands in a field near Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where she meets a boy who comments on her dreadlocks. It's as if he has never seen them before-- he says her hair looks dirty. I like an hour from Mt. Vernon. I have friends there. They know what dreadlocks are in that area. Finally, I was deeply uncomfortable with the whole "Indian mysticism" that abounds in the last part of the book. It's not mysticism; it's a religion. While I liked the action in this, the somewhat off bubble depiction of other cultures outweighs that for me.
What I really think: I agree with Kirkus and Rachel Anne Mencke's School Library Journal review on this one.

For thirteen year-olds, Axel Jack and Daisha Tandala life cannot get anymore complicated. Running from a billionaire, who killed their scientist parents for their device, the Geoport.

The Geoport, which can teleport any person to any place on Earth within a matter of seconds can be deadly in the wrong hands. As a dying wish from their parents, Axel and Daisha race to destory the Geoport. But when the two are separated, finding each other becomes just as important as in running for their lives.

I am going to come out and say that I cannot give this book a rating. I can't because I am so conflicted. There were a lot of good points in this book but then as an adult reading it there were issues. So I don't believe it would be fair to rate this book as it is for children and I would recommend it for children.
Anyway, what I loved about this book was the diversity. It is a breath of fresh air to see authors use non-white main characters. It is just really good to see. I also loved the story and the intensity you feel once the story beings. You jump into the story instantly and I love that.

However, that intensity quickly dies down and it takes a bit too long for it to pick back up. I didn't like the villain. Not because he was a villain but he was a brat and appears to be extremely childish. Axel and Daisha, two thirteen year-olds had much more maturity and I was not enjoying that. In my head, he had this real annoying, whinny voice that I couldn't shake.

The pace of the novel was slow; even for a children's book. Because of this, it was much harder to stay focused on it; therefore making it hard to finish. Do I believe my nieces or a young child would enjoy this? Yes and no. Because for a race against a billionaire with everything at his disposal it was slow. But it was a good book. Just not something I would read or any other adult should read.


No rating.