New series seems a winner

Jay is 13, lives in London and wants to be a rock star. He has made a start, forming a band with three of his mates but the drummer is rubbish.

Summer, who is a good singer, is nearly 14 and lives on a tough estate in the Midlands. She looks after her Nan, who is handicapped by severe asthma and a spinal injury, because Summer's mother is a drug addict living rough in London.

Dylan is 14 and at a boarding school near Edinburgh. He is clever but can't be bothered proving it.

Author Robert Muchamore deftly weaves separate plot lines around these characters, their families and fellow pupils, climaxing in the Rock War band battle in London, during and after which points are made and scores settled.

Fast-paced, serious, but with many funny moments, this is the first in a series and seems a winner. Ages 14+.

- René Nol is a Dunedin reader.