Horn Book Review
Genetically modified eleven-year-old assassin Jimmy and a group of pro-democracy pals escape the fascist regime that has gripped Britain. Returning to rescue the imprisoned parents of a friend, Jimmy discovers that his father is behind a plot to assume power and have Jimmy destroyed. Though mired in genre cliches, this espionage thriller will entertain readers with its action and suspense. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Roaring, constant action zooms along in this first sequel to Jimmy Coates: Assassin? (2005). It seems that Britain has been taken over by a dictatorship, and 11-year-old Jimmy is a product of the new secret service, NJ7. He's more machine than boy, genetically programmed to kill. Now Jimmy struggles against NJ7 and his programming, yet finds it useful as he sneaks back into England to rescue his friend's captured parents, fighting for good against the evil UK government. Picking up where the first adventure ended, Craig relies on readers' familiarity with the preceding story to understand what's going on, although he scatters some small clues for new readers. No realism here, but action lovers won't care as their cyborg James Bond conquers the baddies. It's a nifty sci-fi device for bringing an action novel to middle-schoolers, allowing Craig to pack suspense onto every page. Zippy and exciting for fans. (Fiction. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
"Jimmy Coates, introduced in Jimmy Coates: Assassin? (2005), is mostly robot and 38 percent human. In the not-too-distant future, the government of Great Britain, a brutal dictatorship, conceives of Jimmy as a killing machine. Then Jimmy's human side takes over, and he joins forces with the government opposition. Deciding that Jimmy is too dangerous to keep alive, the prime minister sends another, slightly older robot boy to assassinate him. Rather than simply offering an exciting thriller, Craig explores deeper themes: it is Jimmy's human side, his inventiveness and ability to relate to people, that keeps him alive through the action-packed chases and escapes that fill the pages. The novel ends with Great Britain engaged in a war with the still-democratic France, Jimmy and his allies on the run, and the promise of more thrillers to follow."--"Morning, Todd" Copyright 2007 Booklist
