Review by SmrutiS -- Jihadi Hijacking by Eric Auxier
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SmrutiS
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Review by SmrutiS -- Jihadi Hijacking by Eric Auxier
[Following is a volunteer review of "Jihadi Hijacking" by Eric Auxier.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Are you a teenager? Imagine you are on a plane. Suddenly, masked people appear out of nowhere and announce that your plane has been hijacked! They pull away a father sitting with his family – a wife and a daughter – and threaten to kill him as a symbol of the power they wield over the passengers. What would you do? How would you react? Would you have the courage to put up a fight? And what’s more… the hijacker is a most-wanted terrorist.
The title of Eric Auxier’s 180-page adventure novel, Jihadi Hijacking is quite suggestive. It delineates a secret mission against ‘jihadis’ undertaken by the CIA agent Bob Cheney aka Agent Fagin who, well, ‘takes along’ his 14-year-old adopted son Justin Reed aka Artful Dodger trained in ‘cool spy stuff’. Both board a plane to Tel Aviv on which they have a dangerous, yet riveting encounter with al-Myanmar and company. Captivating is how Justin strikes the terrorist and along with his father takes the plane under control. The original pilots have been gagged and the terrorist pilots have passed out. Now, what next? How do they fly the Airbus? Will they be able to land safely? Even if they do, what lies ahead? Will they return home safe and sound?
There are many aspects that make this novel unputdownable for me. Firstly, the images of the plane and the maps that have been given at the beginning of the text without which I could have lost track of where the duo are going and how they take control of the flight. Secondly, the language used is simple and always in harmony with the characters which makes it convenient for me to visualize them as if they were real and at the same time, feel their emotions – be it happiness or sorrow, love or dislike, excitement or fear, hope or anxiety – everything that words on the page can embody. Thirdly, the father-son conversation that involves various aspects - religion, culture, liberty and cultural filter is a bonus. This might seem like a distraction or a deviation from the main plot of the novel but then, I felt that this is the most significant part of the text specially considering the times we live in where we ought to be sensitive to these relative terms. Lastly, I now know that playing video games is not a waste of time; it does develop skills that I may not have imagined. That apart, the teen protagonist has, as his father says, ‘a strong sense of justice’ which I believe is an important value that the story could imbibe in its readers.
It is hard for me to say what I did not like about the novel. But if I really need to, I would say that the end drags along a little. However, it doesn’t take away from the charm considering the multi-faceted relationship between a teenager and his father that the text portrays. It would turn out to be very uni-dimensional if it merely closed with the signboard ‘mission accomplished’. And being teen fiction, this text could actually help them develop their ideas of forming bonds with friends and family.
I would rate this novel 4 out of 4 - excellent language, flawlessly edited, a mix of emotions, fast-paced and full of action. Whether you are a teen or an adult who loves superhero movies, this is for you. Whether you are a teen or an adult who has a penchant for adventures, this is for you. Whether you are a teen or an adult who wants to read something that adds value to life, this is for you.
******
Jihadi Hijacking
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
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Are you a teenager? Imagine you are on a plane. Suddenly, masked people appear out of nowhere and announce that your plane has been hijacked! They pull away a father sitting with his family – a wife and a daughter – and threaten to kill him as a symbol of the power they wield over the passengers. What would you do? How would you react? Would you have the courage to put up a fight? And what’s more… the hijacker is a most-wanted terrorist.
The title of Eric Auxier’s 180-page adventure novel, Jihadi Hijacking is quite suggestive. It delineates a secret mission against ‘jihadis’ undertaken by the CIA agent Bob Cheney aka Agent Fagin who, well, ‘takes along’ his 14-year-old adopted son Justin Reed aka Artful Dodger trained in ‘cool spy stuff’. Both board a plane to Tel Aviv on which they have a dangerous, yet riveting encounter with al-Myanmar and company. Captivating is how Justin strikes the terrorist and along with his father takes the plane under control. The original pilots have been gagged and the terrorist pilots have passed out. Now, what next? How do they fly the Airbus? Will they be able to land safely? Even if they do, what lies ahead? Will they return home safe and sound?
There are many aspects that make this novel unputdownable for me. Firstly, the images of the plane and the maps that have been given at the beginning of the text without which I could have lost track of where the duo are going and how they take control of the flight. Secondly, the language used is simple and always in harmony with the characters which makes it convenient for me to visualize them as if they were real and at the same time, feel their emotions – be it happiness or sorrow, love or dislike, excitement or fear, hope or anxiety – everything that words on the page can embody. Thirdly, the father-son conversation that involves various aspects - religion, culture, liberty and cultural filter is a bonus. This might seem like a distraction or a deviation from the main plot of the novel but then, I felt that this is the most significant part of the text specially considering the times we live in where we ought to be sensitive to these relative terms. Lastly, I now know that playing video games is not a waste of time; it does develop skills that I may not have imagined. That apart, the teen protagonist has, as his father says, ‘a strong sense of justice’ which I believe is an important value that the story could imbibe in its readers.
It is hard for me to say what I did not like about the novel. But if I really need to, I would say that the end drags along a little. However, it doesn’t take away from the charm considering the multi-faceted relationship between a teenager and his father that the text portrays. It would turn out to be very uni-dimensional if it merely closed with the signboard ‘mission accomplished’. And being teen fiction, this text could actually help them develop their ideas of forming bonds with friends and family.
I would rate this novel 4 out of 4 - excellent language, flawlessly edited, a mix of emotions, fast-paced and full of action. Whether you are a teen or an adult who loves superhero movies, this is for you. Whether you are a teen or an adult who has a penchant for adventures, this is for you. Whether you are a teen or an adult who wants to read something that adds value to life, this is for you.
******
Jihadi Hijacking
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like SmrutiS's review? Post a comment saying so!
